Pune: A week after a mass fish kill at Pashan Lake led to the suspension of four civic officials, the PMC has announced a new plan to divert sewage away from the water body to mitigate rising pollution levels.The civic administration intends to lay a new pipeline to transport sewage from Pashan Lake to a larger sewage treatment plant (STP) in Baner. While the existing STP near Pashan Lake has a meager capacity of 1 MLD (million liters per day), the Baner facility can process approximately 25 MLD, making it better equipped to handle the current crisis.According to local residents, the lake has become a dumping ground for untreated waste from private companies, housing societies, and commercial establishments. This pollution stems not only from the PMC’s jurisdiction but also from adjacent areas like Bhukum and Bhugao. Experts estimate that roughly 10 to 12 MLD of untreated water is currently being discharged into the lake.“Untreated water is being discharged on a massive scale. The lake has essentially been reduced to a sewage basin, which is why water hyacinth is growing so aggressively,” said local resident Pushkar Kulkarni. He argued that the current infrastructure is woefully inadequate and called for a formal scientific study on sewage levels before further processing facilities are built.The PMC hopes to have the new system operational by the monsoon. “Diverting the flow to the larger Baner STP will help us manage the excess load. The civic administration plans to commence treatment by June, which should significantly reduce the volume of untreated sewage entering the lake,” said Jagdish Khanore, chief engineer of PMC’s sewage department.The move follows a series of disciplinary actions triggered by the recent environmental disaster. After water pollution tests confirmed the mass death of fish, the Pune Municipal Corporation issued a show-cause notice to the head of the drainage department and penalised four senior officials from the drainage and solid waste management departments for neglect.“It has been found that there has been a dereliction of duty regarding the maintenance and monitoring of the lake,” stated the notice issued by deputy commissioner Santosh Warule.
