PUNE: The standing committee of the Pune municipal corporation
(PMC) recently approved the lifting of 6.5 thousand million cubic feet
(TMC) treated water from the river and letting it into the Mutha canal
for irrigation. The project at Mundhwa will include a jack well, a
pumping station and a recycling plant at a cost of Rs 31 crore.

Of the 750 MLD sewage generated in the city, about 527 MLD is treated.
This water can be used for gardening, car washing and other non-drinking
purposes or can be sent downstream for irrigation. However, in the
absence of a centralized system, it is released into the river along
with 25% of untreated sewage.

“The reuse of treated water is important to get more water from the irrigation department. The Mundhwa project
will have the infrastructure to draw treated water from the river and
put it into the canal,” said Vishal Tambe, chairman of the standing
committee. He added that the contract works also include maintenance of
the infrastructure for five years.

Since 1997, the civic body
has been receiving water from the irrigation department on the condition
that it will treat 6.5 TMC water annually and release it for
agricultural use. Since no steps were taken, the state government on
March 18, 2009 had sought Rs 6 crore as compensation from the civic
body.

Consequently, the civic administration had assured the
state government that it will complete sewage treatment plants and
water-lifting infrastructure in a time-bound manner. If this
infrastructure is ready, 6.5 TMC treated water can be released into the
canal every year for irrigation. In return, the civic body can get
additional water for the city from the reservoirs of the four dams and
farmers will not lift water from the reservoirs, officials said.

Last May, the civic body had released two advertisements asking
citizens and industries to use treated water for non-drinking purposes.
The plan was to fill treated water in tankers and send it for gardening,
to car wash centres and for other uses so that people do not use
drinking water. Though no charges were levied for those wanting to use
it, there were no takers.