Hundreds of lifeless fish had been discovered floating within the Mula-Mutha river close to Naik Guess, Bund Backyard, on December 22, with many environmental consultants and activists suspecting that untreated sewage, industrial effluents, and poor planning had been answerable for the deaths.
“Poisonous untreated water and chemical compounds have turned our rivers into dying traps for aquatic life,” mentioned Gulab Khedekar, director of the Centre for Coastal and Marine Biodiversity. “The explanations for this catastrophe are clear: untreated home waste, excessive microbial load rising oxygen demand, and organic oxygen depletion, leaving no dissolved oxygen for aquatic organisms to outlive.”
Environmental consultants have expressed alarm over the deteriorating well being of the river’s ecosystem. Sarang Yadwadkar, an knowledgeable on water points, identified that the Mula river collects home and industrial effluents because it flows by means of varied industrial areas, indicating that pollution might have originated upstream. Each Yadwadkar and Khedekar emphasised that the discharge of untreated home and industrial waste is a main issue behind the mass fish deaths.
Yadwalkar criticised the civic authorities for his or her inaction. “The Pune Municipal Company, the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Company, water assets division, Maharashtra Air pollution Management Board and the Central Air pollution Management Board are by no means doing their jobs correctly. As an alternative of cleansing, they’re centered on adorning the rivers. It is a very shameful scenario,” he mentioned.
Narhari Grampurohit, HOD of zoology division at Savitribai Phule Pune College, emphasised that the incident was not a pure prevalence. “This isn’t attributable to any pure phenomenon. It’s solely as a result of poisonous substances being discharged into the river,” he defined.
Volunteers from Pune River Revival documented the grim scene, exhibiting blackened, stagnant water with chemical residues. The fish, primarily tilapia, had been present in areas the place dissolved oxygen ranges had plummeted as a result of overwhelming organic oxygen demand (BOD).
“This disaster is a direct consequence of insufficient sewage therapy and poor planning,” mentioned residents within the space.
Activists have known as for rapid website visits by the PMC and PCMC officers, urging them to deal with the difficulty moderately than citing holidays as excuses for inaction. They’ve demanded accountability from the municipal commissioner, questioning the neglect of town’s waterways.
Rekha Joshi, a senior volunteer, mentioned, “The commissioner and related authorities have to step up and take accountability for restoring the river’s well being. Delays and excuses will solely worsen the injury.”
The mass fish deaths function a grim reminder of the implications of neglecting environmental priorities. With the well being of the Mula-Mutha river hanging within the steadiness, town stands at a crossroads, needing a complete effort to revive its waterways and forestall additional ecological injury.
The MPCB has issued a showcause discover to the PMC, requiring a corrective motion plan inside 15 days. Nevertheless, skepticism stays. “The federal government should prioritize 100% therapy of sewage and cease specializing in initiatives just like the Riverfront Improvement (RFD), which impede pure river move and waste assets,” mentioned Amit Deshmukh of Pune Nadi Punarjivan.
PMC extra municipal commissioner Prithviraj B P mentioned, “The laboratory stories of samples of water from seweage therapy crops and nullahs have revealed that the parameters of drain water had been very excessive in comparison with river water or STP output.”
He mentioned the PMC has additionally sought a chemical check report to search out out the precise contamination of water. “This isn’t nearly saving a river,” Khedekar mentioned. “It’s about making certain a livable future for Pune. We should act now earlier than it’s too late.”
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