Pollution Crisis in Pavana River Prompts Urgent Action, NGT directs PCMC To Submit Plan Of Action 

In response to concerns raised by media reports regarding pollution in the Pavana River, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) to submit a detailed plan of action. The river, which supplies about 80% of Pimpri-Chinchwad’s drinking water across four main areas, is facing a severe pollution crisis, with pollution levels breaching critical thresholds, notably in Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD).

The recent degradation has led to the river’s classification as ‘priority 1’, indicating its critical pollution status as per guidelines set by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The principal bench of the NGT took proactive steps by registering a case on its own accord earlier.

During a recent NGT hearing presided over by Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member Senthil Vel, representatives from the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) and CPCB, including Adv. Mukesh Verma and Suman Arora were present. The MPCB’s report highlighted instances where BOD levels exceeded 30 mg/L at specific monitoring stations, raising concerns about the inefficiency of PCMC’s sewage treatment plants (STPs) in meeting standards and discharging subpar effluents.

PCMC acknowledged its efforts to strengthen sewage infrastructure and install a new interceptor line to address the issue. However, NGT demanded a more comprehensive report from PCMC, encompassing pollution sources, proposed remedial actions, and measures to address non-functional STPs.

The case has now been transferred to the western zonal bench of NGT, with the next hearing scheduled for May 21, 2024. The urgency to address the pollution crisis in Pavana River remains a top priority for all stakeholders involved.