Pune: MPCB Proposes Rs 2.56cr Environmental Damage Compensation Against Four Units For Pavana River Pollution
Pimpri Chinchwad, 21st September 2026: The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has calculated and proposed environmental damage compensation (EDC) of more than Rs 2.56 crore against four industrial units along the Pavana River for allegedly discharging untreated effluent into the water body.
According to an affidavit submitted by MPCB before the National Green Tribunal (NGT), Rs 1.71 crore has been calculated as EDC against one unit, while the other three face proposed compensation of Rs 62 lakh, Rs 20 lakh and Rs 3 lakh respectively.
The compensation was calculated in compliance with the NGT’s April 6, 2026 order, which directed the board to establish the period during which the units allegedly discharged untreated effluent and calculate the EDC accordingly.
During an inspection in July, two of the four units were again found to be non-compliant despite earlier notices, the official said. The MPCB has initiated the process of calculating additional EDC against them and will submit the details to the NGT.
The tribunal has directed that all four units be impleaded in the case and said any EDC can be imposed only after giving the companies an opportunity to present their case.
The matter is part of an ongoing NGT case filed by city-based activist Krunnal Gharre over pollution in the Pavana River. The river was classified as a Priority I polluted river stretch by the Central Pollution Control Board in 2024 and is the primary source of drinking water for Pimpri-Chinchwad.
