PMC floats unseasonal tender of removal of hyacinth from river and lakes

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has floated two tenders to remove hyacinth from two lakes and Mula-Mutha river in the monsoon

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has floated two tenders to remove hyacinth from two lakes and Mula-Mutha river in the monsoon. Normally, hyacinth removal work is done in the pre-monsoon season. During the monsoon, hyacinth flows along with water. Now, civic activists have raised questions about this untimely tender for the removal of hyacinth.

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Every year in the month of February to May, residents along Mula-Mutha face the problem of hyacinth. Residents complain of an increase in mosquitoes and bad odour. Earlier, the PMC made provision of around ₹54 lakh to remove hyacinth through lakes and Mula-Mutha. However, the PMC has allocated a budget of around ₹2 crore to remove hyacinth from Mula-Mutha and two lakes. The tender was also floated before the monsoon despite the peak of the problem being in summer.

However, the PMC has floated unseasonal tenders of removal of hyacinth in the month of monsoon season when hyacinth flows along with water.

Shreedhar Yeolekar, executive engineer, sewerage and maintenance and repair department said, “We have floated a tender to remove hyacinth from two lakes (Pashan and Katraj), Mula and Mutha rivers. The tender is ₹50 lakh for lakes and ₹1 crore for the rivers.”

He said, “Actually, the removal of hyacinth starts from December onwards. However, we started the hyacinth removal process from April onwards because earlier the work was carried out by the health department. From this budget (2021-22), the work has been handed over to the drainage department. So, it takes time to float tenders. Now onwards, the drainage department will tackle hyacinth problems. This tender has a period up to March-2022.”

One of the senior officials of the PMC sewerage and maintenance and repair department said, “Last year, the health department was fully engaged to handle the Covid-19 pandemic and hyacinth problem was not addressed well. However, we removed around 70 per cent of hyacinth so far during the April to March period. Now, there is a break of monsoon. The problem has arisen once again as water is steady. Normally, water flows in monsoon season and hyacinth flows along with water.”

Kaka Kulkarni, a civic activist said, “The PMC doesn’t have a fool proof plan to clear hyacinth. Every year, people register complaints and the PMC starts work. It is a long pending problem. PMC should have to make time bound problems to avoid hyacinth problems. It is really surprising that PMC floated tender in monsoon season when hyacinth problem is not an issue.”

Pune city faces more hyacinth problems as compared to Khadki cantonment and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC). There are two confluences of rivers Mula-Mutha at Sanagamwadi area and Mula-Pavana river comes together at Sangvi. Therefore, hyacinth flows from Mula and Pavana comes to Pune jurisdiction.

Of the 15 ward offices, Mula-Mutha river is passing through the seventh ward offices area. However, Aundh and Warje are the most affected areas of water hyacinth.

Bopodi, Mundwa residents have faced maximum problems. Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) pushes hyacinth in the PMC area. Bopodi is adjacent to the PCMC limit. So, they face more as compared to other ward offices.

Normally, PMC was using JCB to remove hyacinth from Mula-Mutha Rivers. Since 2013, PMC has been using Spider machines. The machine is mounted on a truck. It revolves around 360 degrees. It picks up the hyacinth from the water surface and clean surface