MPCB blames PCMC for poor condition of Indrayani River

Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation is being held accountable by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) for the pollution of the Indrayani River, which has been continuously covered in a layer of toxic foam for the past five days.

MPCB officials stated that even though the river passes through several local bodies’ jurisdictions, the quality of the water in the Indrayani River appears to decline once it passes from Talawade to PCMC’s jurisdiction.

On the other hand, the PCMC asserted that untreated water released from other local bodies’ jurisdictions needs to be examined because they are treating sewage water within their purview.

A senior PCMC official stated that while they are working to make sure their side of the Indrayani River is free of untreated water, they also need to keep an eye on untreated water that is being released by other local bodies, such as Dehu, Alandi, and Talegaon.

The primary source of the river’s pollution, according to a senior MPCB officer, is the mixing of treated or semi-treated and untreated household sewage from nearby bodies of water through a variety of drains. The Board and occasionally local bodies issue directives to prepare a time-bound plan for the entire sewage treatment process. In the legal system, criminal cases have also been brought against municipal entities.

The MPCB officer added that the areas of Chikhali, Kudalwadi, Talawade, and Moshi are also home to a sizeable number of godowns. Certain industrial wastewater-generating operations are conducted illegally in these warehouses. Additionally, there are various scrap materials kept there that are frequently cleaned, including plastic, paper, rubber, tires, wires, wood, iron, aluminum sheets, and plastic.