* Feels that it would be appropriate if project report to curb river pollution is prepared through NIT
* A note prepared by ZP counters the perception that domestic sewage from
six villages was polluting Nag, Wena rivers; and claims that discharge
of untreated industrial effluent from MIDC area was responsible for
river pollution
Staff Reporter
Responding to the issue of pollution of rivers
due to effluents discharged from Maharashtra Industrial Development
Corporation (MIDC) area and villages around the city, Zilla Parishad
(ZP) undertook a study and site inspections. After the exercises, ZP has
observed that rivers or nullahs were getting polluted not due to sewage
discharge from villages in the vicinity of Nagpur city.
The perception that portions of Nag and Wena rivers and various nullahs
outside the limits of Nagpur city were getting polluted/contaminated due
to sewage discharge from nearby villages, is ‘wrong’, states a note
prepared by ZP. MIDC Industries Asociation had stated that sewage
generated in households in villages in the vicinity of Nagpur city,
towards Hingna, was polluting the rivers and nullahs. ZP note counters
the claims of MIDC Industries Assocation.
“On site visit, it was found that river Wena was getting polluted as the
untreated industrial effluents from MIDC area were being discharged
into the drainages of Gram Panchayat area,” states ZP note. A tem of
Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran’s Advanced Technology Support (ATS)
Sub-Division also visited the sites and suggested setting up of a single
large sewage treatment plant (STP) for all six Gram Panchayats --
Digdoh, Nildoh, Nagalwadi, Wanadongri, Isasani, and Raipur.
The exercise of site inspection was taken up by ZP after a multi-agency
meeting held at the initiative of Divisional Commissioner Anoop Kumar on
April 25 earlier this year. Accordingly, ZP team paid a visit to sites
of Nag river, Wena river, and various nullahs and the villages of
Digdoh, Nildoh, Nagalwadi, Wanadongri, Isasani, and Raipur towards
Hingna outside the limits of Nagpur city. It also conducted a meeting of
Sarpanch, Deputy Sarpanch, ZP and Panchayat Samiti members from
respective villages, Gramsevak, and officials of MIDC, Maharashtra
Pollution Control Board (MPCB), Water Supply Department, ATS
Sub-Division of Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran (MJP) etc.
Later, the situation of sewage disposal from the above-mentioned
villages was discussed in detail. It came out that these six villages
had a total of 3,154 households without toilet. To ensure that this
fact does not result in contamination of natural water in rivers and
nullahs, ZP has proposed to include all these six villages under Nirmal
Bharat Abhiyan under which toilets will be constructed.
After study and site visits, ATS Sub-Division of MJP suggested that if
land was available along the river or nullah banks, proposal for STP
could be moved. However, NABARD norms state that Gram Panchayat owned
land should be available along the banks and the water treated in STP
should be made available for agricultural purposes. As Gram Panchayat
owned land is not available along the banks of Nag and Wena rivers, and
agricultural lands are not available due to rapid urbanisation, STP
cannot be set up, states the note prepared by ZP. It further recommends
setting up of STP through MIDC as pollution of rivers/nullahs could be
attributed to discharge of untreated industrial effluent. To curb water
pollution, Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) should be asked to prepare a
project report, suggests ZP note.
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