NGT issues notice to PMRDA, Rajgurunagar Municipal Council for pollution in Bhima River
The river pollution due to untreated sewage discharge has been a serious point of concern in Pune for a long time
The Western bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on March 20 issued notice to PMRDA and Rajgurunagar Municipal Council to submit a report on untreated sewage waste being dumped in the Bhima River in the Rajgurunagar area. The notice was issued based on a complaint filed by Vishwajit Dixit, a local resident, on March 7, and the tribunal has given both local bodies four weeks to submit their responses.
The river pollution due to untreated sewage discharge has been a serious point of concern in Pune for a long time. The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) time and again, highlighted the need for the expansion of STPs in the Pune Metropolitan Region.
Dixit holds farmland in the Rajgurunagar area and complained about untreated sewage water running into the Bhima River from a nearby residential project. In his application, Dixit also highlighted that nearly 10 lakh litres of untreated sewage water is being generated from the 2000 households in the area daily, and the same gets discharged into the nearby river.
Considering the claim, the NGT in its latest order mentioned that, based on the documents and photographs, the tribunal found that the untreated sewage water is damaging the environment in the said area. Hence the tribunal has admitted the case and also stated that a rejoinder application may be submitted within a week after both authorities file their responses. The next hearing for this case is set for April 29.
