Pimpri Chinchwad’s CETP Project Hits Roadblock Due To Insufficient Land
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The Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) project in Pimpri Chinchwad has been stuck for over a year and a half due to a critical issue – the allocated land is too small to accommodate the plant. Despite the groundbreaking ceremony in 2021, the project remains on paper, and the PCMC-CETP Foundation has been urging the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) to provide a larger land parcel.
The initial allocation of 1.5 acres in Bhosari was intended to treat 1 MLD of waste. However, considering the substantial amount of effluent generated by the 4,000 industrial units in the area, the allocated plot is grossly inadequate. The PCMC-CETP Foundation has requested a five-acre plot to set up the new plant, but the matter remains pending with the MIDC.
Sanjeev Shah, chairman of the PCMC-CETP Foundation, while talking to the media person emphasized that the non-availability of a suitable facility to treat effluent is not only causing inconvenience to industrial units but also posing a significant threat to the environment. Industrialists have been demanding a CETP for Pimpri Chinchwad for over 20 years, and the delay is affecting the area’s ecological balance.
A senior PCMC official revealed that the groundbreaking ceremony was conducted only to construct the compound wall and other infrastructure. However, after realizing the allocated land was insufficient, the MIDC is now preparing another Detailed Project Report (DPR). Industries minister Uday Samant has directed the MIDC officials to conduct a detailed survey to assess industrial pollution in Pawana and Indrayani rivers.
Industrial members are frustrated with the delay, stating that the groundbreaking ceremony was conducted for the entire project, not just the compound wall. They opposed a proposal by a UK-based company to set up the plant on the allocated land using advanced technology. Currently, many industrial units outsource their waste processing tasks to private firms, but the authorities need to allocate additional land to resolve the issue, according to Sandeep Belsare, president of the Pimpri Chinchwad Small Scale Industries Association.
