Will treat Mithi water before entering sea: Maharashtra govt

To curb sea water pollution along Mumbai’s coast, the Maharashtra government is considering setting up a treatment facility for the Mithi river three kilometres before it meets the Arabian sea, environment minister Ramdas Kadam said on Monday.

To curb sea water pollution along Mumbai’s coast, the Maharashtra government is considering setting up a treatment facility for the Mithi river three kilometres before it meets the Arabian sea, environment minister Ramdas Kadam said on Monday.

Kadam was replying to a question raised by Chembur legislator Prakash Fatarphekar, about the issue of increasing air pollution in Chembur because of the industries around the area.

BJP legislator Atul Bhatkalkar said a similar situation had arisen in the Mithi river, where the water is polluted beyond redemption.

“We have a study from KEM hospital that has indicated the pollution in Chembur has increased by at least 15 to 20%. We will send notices to all the companies contributing to it within the next 15 days. We will also get another study done from KEM on how the parameters have improved in the next three months,” he said.

Replying on the Mithi issue, Kadam said there are 103 locations where polluted water seeps into the river. “Blocking these openings is difficult. So we are considering setting up a treatment facility three kilometres before the river meets the sea, so that clean treated water is released into the ocean. We have already constructed a 12-km retaining wall along the 18 kilometre length of the river. The other six kilometres will be covered by the monsoon,” Kadam said.