Pune: PMC Doubling Sewage Treatment Capacity to Enhance Mula-Mutha River Water Quality
Pune, 22nd June 2023: Responding to criticism over its environmentally damaging approach in the Mula-Mutha riverfront beautification project, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has now shifted its focus to enhancing the water quality of the river. The PMC aims to prevent untreated sewage water from being released into the river by doubling its sewage treatment capacity. This will be achieved by increasing the number of sewage treatment plants (STPs) from 10 to 29 in the coming years.
Once all the new plants are operational, the treatment capacity is expected to nearly double from the current 576 million litres per day (MLD) to 1,125 MLD, according to officials.
The PMC plans to reconstruct one of the existing 10 STPs and establish additional 11 STPs with a combined capacity of 396 MLD, funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Furthermore, two new STPs will be built to cater to the needs of 11 villages that were incorporated into the civic body a few years ago. Additionally, a detailed project report has been finalized for the construction of seven more STPs to serve the requirements of 23 villages that merged with the civic limits two years ago. This will result in a total of 29 STPs in the city in the coming years.
Pune Municipal Commissioner Vikram Kumar stated, “The PMC’s current focus is to ensure clean water in the river, which will be addressed alongside the riverfront development project. Construction of the 11 STPs funded by JICA has commenced, and plans for increasing the number of STPs to meet future needs have been established.”
PMC is in discussions with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to secure a loan for the construction of the additional seven STPs serving the 23 villages, Kumar added. The detailed project report outlines seven STPs, with two in Wagholi and one each in Mundhwa, Pisoli, Nanded, Holkarwadi, and Manjari Budhruk, with a total capacity of 146.50 MLD. The PMC will also lay a drainage line network spanning 841.44 km to support these plants. A civic body official expressed confidence in raising the required funds of Rs 1,270 crore for the project through a loan from IFC.
In 2017, 11 new villages were merged with the city, prompting PMC to devise a sewage treatment plan for the area. As part of this plan, the PMC will construct two new plants, one each in Keshavnagar and Manjari, with a total capacity of 105.5 MLD, using PMC’s own budget. Jagdish Khanore, PMC Superintendent Engineer, affirmed that work on these 11 new STPs funded by JICA has commenced and is scheduled for completion by March 2025, with a revised project cost of Rs 1,173 crore and an additional Rs 250 crore allocated for operation and maintenance over the next 15 years.
The river beautification project aims to enhance the 44 km stretch of the Mula-Mutha River within Pune city limits. The project includes the creation of pathways for walking and cycling, the addition of 16 new boating facilities, an increase in the number of ghats to 40, and the expansion of dining establishments along the river.
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