All objections addressed, River Rejuvenation Project will not be halted: PCMC chief

During Sunday’s protest in Pimple Nilakh area, Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Anna Bansode, met the agitators on Mula river bank and said he will ask PMC and PCMC commissioners to stop the River Front Development project work. The project is estimated to cost Rs 275 crore and PCMC will be implementing it on a 20 km stretch in its jurisdiction. Currently, work on a 8 km stretch is underway.

Environmentalists told Bansode about the “illegal tree” felling in the city and the activities carried out under the ”guise” of the RFD project.
Bansode said the ”illegal” tree felling under the guise of the RFD project was wrong and expressed concern over the fact that riverbed is being narrowed due to dumping of debris earth

Bansode assured that an inquiry into the matter would be conducted, and discussions would be held with the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Ministers before making a decision on the project.

When asked about whether Bansode spoke to him, the PCMC chief said, “The Deputy Speaker raised the concerns expressed by the evironmentalists with him. I told him about the entire issue. About how the matter had gone before the National Green Tribunal, how enviromental clearance and amended environmental clearance have been received for the project. He was told about the NoCs received from the irrigation department also from central government institutes.”

In light of past developments and all legal approvals and clearances, the PCMC chief said the project will go ahead. ”I have informed the Deputy Speaker about our stand,” he said.

About the allegation from activists that around 40,000 trees along the riverbanks were cut down or destroyed under the pretext of transplantation, the PCMC commissioner said, “I don’t know where the figure of 40,000 trees has come from. Currently, we have undertaken work on 8 km stretch in Pimple Nilakh area. Here, we would be cutting down 300 trees. Some of them are invasive, exotic species which we will have to cut down. These trees are not in a position to be transplated. The government wants us to remove them. But we are compensating this loss by planting and transplanting trees four to five times. At least 1,000 trees will be transplanted. We will do our best to ensure that the green loss is compensated by a much high degree.”

Singh said they have also changed the design at some places which will help save 700 trees. “At some places, the design change, especially while constructing the bunding wall for flood control, will help save 700 trees.”

Describing the project as River Rejuvenation Project, the commissioner said, “It is River Rejuvenation Project not River Front Development Project.”

“No one is talking about the fact that we will be channelling the nullah water into our sewage treatment plants, and only after the water is treated, it will be released in the river. We are setting up STPs at several places where they were never set up. We are upgrading the existing STPs. In short, we are undertaking augmentation of the STP network. Besides, the drainage network is being expanded and overhauled,” Singh said.

The activists project threatens to destroy biodiversity, narrow the riverbed, and increase the risk of flooding. ”These issues have been discussed threadbare with envirnomentalists before the NGT. We have addressed all concerns raised so far,” he said.

The PCMC chief said he would again be holding a presentation and press conference on the issue to explain the project in greater details to journalists, citizens and activists.