The committee formed under District collector Chandrakant Dalvi has issued guidelines to all local bodies to make a plan to address pollution of rivers in the district. The committee made a presentation and submitted recommendations to the government on Tuesday.

The comprehensive plan has been readied under the conservation of rivers in the district plan and it has been drawn up with the help of Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB). The plan covers the sources of water pollution and the points from where domestic and industrial effluents are discharged into the rivers from Lonavla to the Ujani Dam area.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Dalvi said a meeting was convened by State Irrigation Minister Ajit Pawar and was attended by PMC, PCMC and municipal council officials with the aim to ensure 100 percent sewage treatment of river bodies. The plan was readied for Bhima River and its tributaries—Kukdi, Ghod, Indrayani, Mula, Mutha, Pavana and Vel all important tributaries of Bhima river.

“Each of the local bodies have to follow the guidelines and ready a plan for sewage treatment, along with their existing plan so that all water is treated and no water is let out into the rivers. Presently, the district generates 541.12 MLD sewage water and municipal corporations, municipal councils as well as gram panchayats have to ready a plan. The maximum time frame we can give to these bodies is three years, provided they are able to generate funds for the treatment of sewage water. They can garner funds from various sources and the government will also help to bridge the gap,” Dalvi said. 

While the report submitted also covers industries releasing untreated water into the stream, both short term and long term measures have been suggested. From check dams on the rivers, necessary wetland technology, underground sewage lines and treatment plants have been issued under the guidelines issued to the local bodies. While the local bodies have also put up the expected expenditure, they have also been asked to come out with a plan on how they would generate the funds and implement the projects within the time frame.

The PMC administration wants to set up eight new sewage treatment plants (STPs) at a cost of Rs 271.60 crore, in order to achieve 100 percent sewage treatment in the city. However, the PMC has a budgetary provision of Rs 48.03 crore for sewage treatment. The civic body has decided to opt for a scheme under the National River Conservation Directorate (NRCD), in which the central government provides grants of 70 per cent of the total expenditure required for setting up STPs. In order to seek the grants, the PMC has to prepare a detailed project report and submit it to the central government through the Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran.

At present, the PMC treats only 55 percent of the sewage generated. Of the 700 million litre a day sewage generated, only 500 MLD is carried to the treatment plants and just 382 MLD actually gets treated. Dalvi said that municipal councils in the district are not financially strong so the state government will try to get JNNURM funds for the councils to set up STPs.