A large number of dead fish were seen floating near Pimple Nilakh in the Mula River on Sunday. Incidents of fish dying due to contaminated water in Mula, Pavana and Indrayani rivers is a perennial problem in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area and activists have been demanding concrete measures to prevent river pollution rather than just focusing on beautification.
Raviraj Kale, civic activist, has complained to Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) chief and environment department requesting to take immediate measures to prevent river pollution.
“A large number of fish were found dead due to the chemical contamination water released into the Mula river. The civic body should take immediate action,” he said.
The civic body in its Environment Status Report (ESR) had stated all three rivers Mula, Pavana and Indrayani in their limits remain polluted throughout the year. These rivers are getting polluted due to the regular untreated contaminated domestic and industrial water released in the rivers, claimed the report.
Recently, PCMC received environmental clearance for its ambitious River Rejuvenation Project (RRP) of Indrayani and Mula River from the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA).
Prashant Raut, environment activist, said, “The dissolved oxygen decreases when the contamination in the river increases. The bacteria feed on the pollutants that have entered the water, and when their numbers increase it leads ti increase in demand for the dissolved oxygen. This results in a large decline in the amount of dissolved oxygen available for fish and other aquatic animals, which can lead to their suffocation and death.”
{{/usCountry}}Prashant Raut, environment activist, said, “The dissolved oxygen decreases when the contamination in the river increases. The bacteria feed on the pollutants that have entered the water, and when their numbers increase it leads ti increase in demand for the dissolved oxygen. This results in a large decline in the amount of dissolved oxygen available for fish and other aquatic animals, which can lead to their suffocation and death.”
{{/usCountry}}Sanjay Kulkarni, city engineer and head of environment department, PCMC, said, “Samples have been collected and sent to the laboratory for analysis. Necessary action will be taken after the investigations are completed. We have also notified the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) about the incident, and pollution board officials will visit the location.”
However, the chemically contaminated water is not released into the river within the PCMC jurisdiction, he claimed. “There are no industries in PCMC limits on the Mula riverbed route, and it is possible that the untreated chemical water was released from Hinjewadi or nearby areas using a tanker,” he said.