Citizens8217; force to tackle river pollution

The project, which will take off in the second week of January, has been conceived by the University of Pune and will be implemented by its school of health sciences as a continuing education programme.

What makes the mission singularly different, is that unlike raising a brigade of activists to fight the issue, the mission will focus on developing core groups to deal with the problem in a scientific and organised manner.

8220;To provide scientific education to masses in the issues pertaining to environment is a must. Environment activism and concern should be supported by at least basic scientific background about how pollution occurs and what factors affect it,quot;says Bhushan Patwardhan, director, school of health sciences.

Initially major thrust areas of environment development such as river pollution, air pollution and sound pollution will be focused upon. To begin with the pollution in Mula and Mutha will be taken up under River Pune project8217; aimed at conservation and development of the river system. The two rivers, facing acute pollution due untreated sewage, have made their course through the city biologically dead. The declining index of dissolved oxygen in the rivers has reached the dangerous zero8217; mark at various points through their course.

Speaking to The Indian Express about the ambitious mission, Patwardhan said initially preliminary workshops on the river project will be held in which the representatives from the all the four categories including those from Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporations, Zilla Parishad and Cantonment Boards, will be imparted basic education on rivers.