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As the outbreak of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) due to drinking water drawn from Khadakwasla dam rang alarm bells a few months ago, the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) has now swung into action by planning a Rs 1,800 crore sewage treatment project across its jurisdiction to ensure only treated sewage water is released in water bodies, mainly drinking water sources.
“The metropolitan consists of over 930 villages surrounding Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad city. However, there are few facilities to treat sewage generated in the localities. This has led to untreated sewage getting released in water bodies, and there are reports of water in the main reservoir providing drinking water to Pune city and villages downstream of the Mutha river being polluted. The same exists for other rivers passing through the metropolitan area,” said Yogesh Mhase, Metropolitan Commissioner of the PMRDA.
The Pune metropolitan authority has taken up a project to treat the sewage generated in its jurisdiction, he said. The metropolitan region has been divided into two parts for the project, which includes the part downstream of rivers and the second part is upstream of rivers.
“The detailed project report for the metropolitan region downstream of rivers is ready, but its implementation has been kept on hold as implementing projects upstream of the rivers would have a faster benefit. If the sewage generated in the area upstream of rivers is treated first, then the water source will ensure that good-quality water is available for the nearest localities, including Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad cities. The detailed project report for the sewage treatment project upstream of rivers is being prepared and will be implemented first,” he said.
The area in the upstream of the river includes Haveli, Bhor, Mulshi and Maval talukas, said Mhase, adding sewage lines and sewage treatment plants will be set up in the localities generating sewage in these areas.
Many of the localities in urban areas have sewage line networks, but due to a lack of treatment plants, the sewage water is released in the nearest stream, from where the water mixes with water bodies like rivers and dams, he said.
The main water source for Pune city is the Khadakwasla dam, which has been reportedly polluted due to urbanisation upstream. The Pune civic body had informed the state government of the same. A few months ago, there was an outbreak of GBS, and the water source was found to be the main reason behind the spread of the disease, mainly in areas close to the Khadakwasla dam, where the dam water was directly supplied to citizens due to the absence of a purification plant for the newly merged area within the city limits.
The issue of failure to provide purified water to citizens by civic bodies has been taken up in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) by citizens. Meanwhile, the union government has decided to fund the construction of a new water treatment plant in Vadgaon Budruk on Sinhagad road, and the PMC has sought forest land for setting up a new water treatment plant near Khadakwasla dam, which would help it provide treated, purified water to citizens.
