Hyacinth covers Pavana river, bank to bank... awaiting PCMC action

The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) is once again faced with the task of keeping the Pavana river free of hyacinth.

“The river from the Morya Gosavi temple across till the other side is completely covered with hyacinth and is turning into a breeding spot for mosquitoes. This is a health hazard for residents,” said Gajanan Chinchwade Patil, district head, Shiv Sena.

“It is important for authorities to make an annual plan to clean the river instead of waiting for water hyacinth to clog it,” Patil asked.

Patil added that the authorities have a week to put their clean-up plan into action or else the Shiv Sena will stage a protest.

Ganesh Bora, volunteer of the Rotary Club of Walherkarwadi said, “If we allow water hyacinth to spread, this could lead to a dengue threat. Volunteers are willing to cooperate and help the health department clean the river bank. We also want the authorities to spray pesticides on the river bank as a precaution.”

PCMC commissioner Shravan Hardikar said, “The contract is still pending before the standing committee but we will push them to approve it within this week and also begin the work of cleaning the Pavana river.