4 min readPuneSep 22, 2025 08:24 PM IST
First published on: Sep 22, 2025 at 08:22 PM IST
In a push to ensure a pollution-free Mula-Mutha river which cuts across the city, the Maharashtra government has approved Rs 842.85 crore to revamp the existing nine Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) that would have the latest technology to release clean water into the river.
“It gives me immense happiness to declare that the proposed Rs 842.85 crore project of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has been given administrative approval. Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government has undertaken sewage treatment projects for 44 cities under AMRUT 2.0 scheme. Pune is one among them. Out of the Rs 842.85 crore, the Union government will provide Rs 252.86 crore, state government will provide Rs 210.71 crore, PMC will contribute Rs 20.49 crore and the remaining would be provided through private partnership. It will be a big relief to Pune,” said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in a tweet.
As per a government resolution issued by the state government on Monday, the private partner will contribute Rs 358.79 crore for the project.
“The Sequential Batch Reactor (SBR) technology for effective sewage treatment to meet the newly set benchmark by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) will be implemented under this project for developing STPs. The PMC would demolish and reconstruct two old STPs at Bhairoba and Tanajiwadi while the remaining would be upgraded. Tenders are done and we are processing bids,” said additional municipal commissioner Prithviraj B P.
Earlier parameters laid by CPCB for treated sewage was below 30 Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), measures the oxygen consumed by microorganisms to break down biodegradable organic matter, and below 100 Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), measures the total oxygen needed to chemically oxidise all organic and some inorganic substances in water, in which Phosphate and Nitrate was not separated from sewage but new parameters are less than 10 BOD and less than 50 COD.
Currently, nearly 92 per cent of Pune city is covered through a sewerage network that spans 2,200 kilometres, which includes six intermediate pumping stations and 10 Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs). The cumulative treatment capacity of these plants is 567 Million Litres per Day (MLD). However, the old STP at Naidu Hospital with a capacity of 90 MLD is demolished for the reconstruction of a 127 MLD plant. Hence, the effective treatment capacity is 477 MLD of nine STPs.
This capacity will be increased by 396 MLD after the ongoing new STP projects funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) are completed by 2027.
As part of the plans under AMRUT 2.0, he said the existing STP of 130 MLD at Bhairoba, constructed in 2003, will be demolished to develop a new STP of 200 MLD capacity. The STP at Tanajiwadi will be demolished to make way for a new 26 MLD STP and enhancement of 18 MLD STP to 28 MLD STP at Bopodi. Upgrades will also be carried out at 115 MLD STP at New Naidu, 50 MLD STP at Erandwane, and 32 MLD STP at Vithalwadi.
“The objective is to ensure that the treated wastewater is able to meet the discharge parameters, extend the life of existing STPs, and improve the quality of treated wastewater for reuse and implement green initiatives by developing a compressed biogas system for large capacity STPs,” he said.
With the population expected to rise to 92 lakhs in 2037, the sewage treatment capacity for the city is estimated to be 1,072 MLD. By 2047, the capacity should be 1,450 MLD to cater to a population of 1.1 crore.
A tree-mapping exercise along the riparian zone of the Mula River has now been accepted. (File) 
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