E-Paper
PMC struggles to get land for two STPs for river rejuvenation project
The Centre sanctioned the ₹990-crore project in January 2016 by allocating 85 per cent funding and remaining to be provided by PMC. JICA has given a subsidy loan to the central government to carry out the project
Even as the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has set up a 14-engineer special cell to speed up the much-delayed JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) funded river rejuvenation project, it is yet to get land for two of its 11 sewage treatment plants (STPs).
The Centre sanctioned the ₹990-crore project in January 2016 by allocating 85 per cent funding and remaining to be provided by PMC. JICA has given a subsidy loan to the central government to carry out the project.
PMC has formed a special cell of 14 engineers chosen from different civic departments to work dedicatedly for the JICA project. Till date, seven engineers have joined the cell.
The civic body is yet to get land for STP in Kharadi and Aundh areas.
The 1.25 hectares located near PMC’s existing STPs in Kharadi that it needs belongs to the state forest department.
In Aundh area, PMC has identified 0.3 hectare riverside land of the Botanical Survey of India.
A JICA senior official said, “The forest department has given an in-principle approval to hand over the land and the file is awaiting clearance from the main forest department. After a letter was sent to the Botanical Survey of India seeking working permission for the plan, they declined to provide the land stating that it comes under the Biodiversity Heritage Site (BHS). Now, PMC is discussing matters with higher authorities of the state government to get land. We have carried out surveys, soil inspection and testing of both sites and will begin work after getting approval.”
Under the JICA project, PMC will construct 11 STPs in different parts of the city to reduce Mula-Mutha river pollution.
The project will create an additional treatment capacity of 396 million litres per day (MLD) over the existing capacity of 477 MLD, laying of 55 km of sewer lines and renovation of four existing intermediate pumping stations. Once the project is completed by 2025, the total STP capacity available in Pune will be 988.50 MLD, which will be sufficient to cater to sewage generation for 2027, according to PMC officials.
At present, PMC has started work at nine STPs and has received ₹120 crore funds from the Centre. PMC has spent ₹165 crore till date.
Jagdish Khanore, JICA project incharge from PMC, said, “Though the project was delayed, it has picked up pace. We have started actual work at nine STP sites. We have completed all works related to topographic survey, soil investigation and tree survey. We have finalised the basic engineering package and general arrangement drawing. Now, we have taken RCC designs work of raw sewage pumping station, sequential batch reactors, and chlorination contact tank. We have started work at Hadapsar, Naidu Hospital, Dhanori, Bhairoba Nullah, Warje, Wadgaon, Mundhwa and Tanajiwadi.”
The aim of the river rejuvenation project is to keep Mula-Mutha river clean. As PMC is unable to treat the sewage generated in the city properly, most of the sewage directly mixes with the river water. By constructing new STPs, PMC plans to collect 100% sewage and release only treated water in the river, a civic official said.
