PMC requests help from PCMC, Khadki & PMRDA Metro for clearing water hyacinth from Mula-Mutha river

While the PMC has begun removing water hyacinth from the lakes and parts of the Mula-Mutha river flowing in its jurisdiction, there are parts of the river where other agencies including the PCMC and Khadki Cantonment, too, need to be involved

PUNE: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has appealed to the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), Khadki Cantonment and Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) Metro for help in removing water hyacinth from the Mula-Mutha river. While the PMC has begun removing water hyacinth from the lakes and parts of the Mula-Mutha river flowing in its jurisdiction, there are parts of the river where other agencies including the PCMC and Khadki Cantonment, too, need to be involved.

The PMRDA Metro has built a small bund in the Wakad area on the Mula river due to which all the hyacinth has accumulated around this bund. (HT PHOTO)

Mangesh Dighe, environment officer, PMC, said, “The PMC has started removing water hyacinth from the lakes and the Mula-Mutha river. At present, the PMC has cleared all the water hyacinth from the Jambhulwadi Lake. Whereas work on removal of water hyacinth from the Pashan and Katraj lakes is 50% and 40% complete, respectively. We will remove all the hyacinth from all three lakes.”

“We are facing a bit of a problem in removing the water hyacinth from the Mula-Mutha river as there are two other agencies involved namely PCMC and Khadki Cantonment. The hyacinth flows from the PCMC and Khadki Cantonment area to the PMC jurisdiction. It has to be a collective effort on the part of all agencies to clear the hyacinth from the Mula-Mutha river. We have written letters to the PCMC and Khadki Cantonment and requested help to remove the hyacinth from the river,” Dighe said.

“The PMRDA Metro has built a small bund in the Wakad area on the Mula river due to which all the hyacinth has accumulated around this bund. We have also written a letter to the PMRDA Metro to remove the hyacinth. So, it will not make its way into the Mula-Mutha river,” Dighe said.

Rinaj Pathan, superintendent engineer, PMRDA Metro, said, “Six months ago, we constructed a small bund at Wakad as we have to work under the river bed to construct piers. We have completed work on the pier caps and we will remove all structures from the river bed. We will complete all the work before the monsoon. We will discuss the issue regarding the removal of hyacinth.”

Ganesh Deshpande, deputy health officer, PCMC, said, “We got a letter from the PMC regarding the removal of hyacinth. We have started work to remove hyacinth from the Mula, Indrayani and Pavana rivers. The work was assigned to three contractors. They place nylon strings for hyacinth to accumulate at one spot. During fishing, the boats cut these strings and hyacinth makes its way into the PMC jurisdiction. We will try to remove all the hyacinth from the rivers flowing under the PCMC jurisdiction. We have set a deadline to clear all the hyacinth from the river by the end of May.”

Wakad, Kaspate Vasti and Sanghvi are the PCMC areas worst affected by water hyacinth. The Mula-Mutha river flows through seven of the 15 ward offices of the PMC but Aundh and Warje are the worst affected by water hyacinth. Bopodi and Mundhwa too face water hyacinth problems. Earlier, the PMC used JCB to remove hyacinth from the Mula-Mutha river however it has started using spider machines to remove hyacinth since 2013.