Water Purification Center to Be Set Up in Pune Villages Affected by GBS
Pune, 8th February 2025: To tackle the outbreak of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) in six villages near Pune, the state government and the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) have decided to build a ₹500 crore water purification center to ensure a clean drinking water supply. Both the Maharashtra state government and PMC will share the cost equally, contributing ₹250 crore each, announced Guardian Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday.
Pawar was speaking after a District Planning Committee meeting held to review development projects and public health concerns. The GBS outbreak in villages along Sinhagad Road was a key point of discussion.
“A proposal to set up a water purification center under the Central Government’s AMRUT scheme was earlier sent, but it was not approved. Now, the state government will fund the project to ensure clean water reaches the affected villages,” Pawar told reporters.
Highlighting the need for improving Pune’s public transport, Pawar announced the purchase of 1,000 new buses for Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML).
Due to the aging fleet, the number of breakdowns has increased, impacting daily commuters. A total budget of ₹500 crore has been allocated for the procurement, with contributions from:
Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA): ₹250 crore
Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC): ₹150 crore
Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC): ₹100 crore
Initially, the plan was to procure electric buses, but since delivery takes time, the authorities have decided to purchase CNG buses instead, Pawar stated.
When asked about actor Rahul Solapurkar’s controversial remarks on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Pawar confirmed that complaints had been received.
“He should not have made such a statement. Police will investigate and take necessary action,” Pawar said.
