In response to the escalating pollution crisis in the Indrayani River, School Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar has issued directives to curb the flow of untreated sewage into the sacred waterway. Emphasizing the cultural and religious significance of the river, Kesarkar called for urgent steps to address sewage management and protect the environmental integrity of the Indrayani.
The minister conveyed these directives during a crucial review meeting on Indrayani river pollution, held at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Mahalunge. Present at the meeting were key stakeholders, including MLA Uma Khapare, PMRDA Commissioner Rahul Mahiwal, PCMC Commissioner Shekhar Singh, MPCB Member Secretary Avinash Dhakane, and PMC Additional Commissioner Kunal Khemnar.
Kesarkar stressed the importance of preventing untreated contaminated water from entering the river, urging meticulous planning for the installation of new sewage treatment plants while ensuring the continued functionality of existing ones. He highlighted the Chief Minister’s commitment to maintaining clean river water and emphasized the need to extend pollution prevention measures to the Mula-Mutha river as part of the Namami Chandrabhaga project.
The minister called for concerted efforts to collect and process wastewater from large housing societies, implementing measures to halt the discharge of untreated water into drains. He advocated for punitive actions against housing societies neglecting sewage treatment responsibilities.
Additionally, Kesarkar directed local self-government bodies to prioritize wastewater management, with a focus on rural areas. He urged the PMC to establish a dedicated team for this purpose and emphasized the necessity of preliminary measures to prevent polluted water from entering the rivers until sewage treatment plants are in operation.
MLA Uma Khapare echoed the need for coordinated efforts across concerned departments to prevent contaminated water from flowing into the river, emphasizing the urgency of the situation.
MPCB Member Secretary Avinash Dhakane underlined the importance of ensuring the setup of sewage treatment plants for projects covering an area of less than 20 thousand square meters. He warned of strict actions against officials responsible for allowing untreated water from industries in the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation colonies to flow into the river.
During the meeting, PMRDA shared updates on the ongoing efforts to combat the pollution of the Indrayani river.
