Pune: PCMC’s Pavana River Rejuvenation Project Receives Environmental Clearance; Work to Begin Soon

Pimpri-Chinchwad, 8th July 2025: The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has launched an ambitious initiative to rejuvenate the Pavana River, which flows through the heart of the city over a stretch of 24.40 kilometers. The project aims to reduce water pollution, control flooding, and restore the river’s natural ecosystem.

For this purpose, PCMC appointed the experienced consultancy firm HCP Design and Management Pvt. Ltd., which conducted a detailed survey of the entire river stretch. Based on this, a comprehensive project report was prepared outlining measures for pollution control and flood mitigation. Additionally, the hydrology and hydraulics report for the project has been developed by the Government of India’s Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS), Pune.

PCMC had submitted an application for environmental clearance to the Government of Maharashtra on 10th December 2019. After a series of meetings by the State Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC-3) and the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), final approval was granted during the SEIAA meeting held on 7th July 2025.

According to PCMC’s Chief Engineer Sanjay Kulkarni, following the receipt of necessary funding from the state and central governments, a tendering process will be initiated, and physical work on the river rejuvenation will commence. The project is expected to play a crucial role in bank protection, preventing soil erosion, enhancing biodiversity, creating natural habitats for birds and aquatic life, and overall restoring the river’s ecological balance.