Pune: MPCB Issues Notice to Hinjawadi IT Park for Polluting Mula River
Hinjawadi, 12th November 2024: The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has issued a notice to the Rajiv Gandhi Infotech (IT) Park in Hinjawadi after uncovering significant water pollution violations. According to the MPCB, untreated sewage from the park’s common sewage treatment plant (STP) has been discharged directly into the Mula River, leading to fish deaths and environmental contamination.
The investigation, initiated following reports of fish fatalities, saw MPCB officials inspecting the STP on 24th September. The inspection revealed major compliance failures and improper operations. Although the STP has a capacity of 4 megaliters per day, it currently processes only about 1.5 megaliters daily. The MPCB attributed this underperformance to an inadequate sewage channel network within the IT park.
The inspection further uncovered multiple non-operational sections of the STP, disrepair in storage tanks, and a pervasive foul odor throughout the facility. Additionally, the plant lacked a disinfection system, and treated water was not being recycled as mandated. Instead, semi-treated water was being discharged into the Mula River, with only eight to ten tankers of treated water removed daily. Broken sewage channels outside the premises were also noted in the MPCB report.
MPCB’s Regional Officer, Jagannath Salunkhe, stated that the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) has been given a seven-day deadline to respond. MIDC representatives are expected to attend a meeting at MPCB’s office on 22nd November. MIDC Executive Engineer, Sanjay Indule, mentioned that the STP’s operations are managed by a third-party company and assured that a detailed response will be provided after consulting with them.
This is the third notice issued by MPCB in the past three months regarding STP-related violations, following similar notices to Kurkumbh MIDC in September and Ranjangaon MIDC in October.
