Pune: Floating barriers installed by Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) in the Mula to control aquatic growth are trapping waste and worsening river pollution, with a direct impact on drinking water quality, Hinjewadi gram panchayat has said in its letter to the civic body and irrigation department officials.The iron cables with floating plastic blocks installed in the riverbed hold waste, sewage and vegetation in one place, obstructing the Mula’s natural flow around the Wakad bridge.The letter added that while the river’s flow had improved after the recent removal of construction debris, water lettuce and other pollutants accumulate because of these barriers, leading to a drop in dissolved oxygen levels and increasing overall water pollution.The gram panchayat also flagged health concerns, stating that the contamination is directly affecting the drinking water supply to nearly 17,000 residents in large townships in Hinjewadi area.The letter demanded the removal of the floating barriers and other obstructions from the river’s channel, urgent inspection of the stretches near the Wakad bridge and Mhatoba temple STP, and steps to ensure that the flow of the Mula is not blocked.Irrigation department officials said PCMC will face action if the barriers were installed without permission. Civic officials said they are part of their river-cleaning strategy.A senior civic official said, “Floating barriers have been installed to prevent hyacinth from entering our jurisdiction. We have appointed an agency to keep rivers in the PCMC limits clean. If the upstream areas do not remove the hyacinth, it will keep flowing downstream and affect our stretch as well.”The official said each authority, like the gram panchayat, has to look after the river in its jurisdiction. “We cannot remove hyacinth coming from upstream every day,” he added.Residents said that the Mula River is a key drinking water source for several townships in the Hinjewadi-Wakad belt. Anirudha Karandikar, who lives in a township here, said, “At least 300 residents signed a letter and a group met PCMC officials who told us that the barriers will not be removed. We were advised to keep our side of the river clean and clear up the water lettuce. “Pratik Aagal, a resident of a Mhalunge township, said they draw water from the Mula and treat it in an in-house plant before supplying it to the residents. “Even so, the water is not a 100% clean. The river’s quality has deteriorated because of water lettuce and pollution. We also get blood worms in the water, especially in the bathrooms and sometimes in the kitchen.”Slow pace of weed removal in PMC waterbodiesWater hyacinth in the Mula and Mutha rivers and in several lakes across Pune city is standing out as an eyesore, with Pune Municipal Corporation missing its March deadline despite the deployment of machinery.Pashan, Katraj and Jambhulwadi lakes are also grappling with a massive infestation. Swarms of mosquitoes, a persistent stench and health hazards are clear dangers.Vishrantwadi resident Pramod Shelke said the hyacinth near Holkar Bridge has spread over a few hundred metres of the river. In Keshavnagar, dense hyacinth in the Mula-Mutha breeds mosquitoes. Local resident Anup Kale said PMC’s efforts are temporary fixes, and a scientific long-term solution is necessary. Residents from Hadapsar are concerned about the weed-choked baby canal.Ganesh Sonune, PMC’s disaster management cell head, said, “We have deployed machines and will clear much of the hyacinth by April-end. We will coordinate with Khadki Cantonment Board authorities for work in the Holkar Bridge area.”(With inputs from Sarang Dastane)
