PUNE: Maharashtra school education minister Deepak Kesarkar on Tuesday directed PCMC officials to take punitive action against large housing societies releasing untreated waste water into the Indrayani river, leading to its pollution.
The minister held a meeting in this regard on Tuesday with PCMC and other authorities concerned. The meeting followed the state government’s promise to keep rivers clean during the winter session of the state assembly. “To stop river pollution, it is important for big societies to treat waste water. Officials concerned should take appropriate steps to ensure that untreated water is not released into the nullahs. If any housing society is not treating the waste water, the civic bodies should take punitive action against them,” Kesarkar said.
He directed municipal councils to form dedicated teams for sewage water management.
“Many builders hand over the societies to residents without functional STPs. Despite this, they manage to gets NOC and completion certificates. The minister should first order action against officials who clear these projects,” said Sanjivan Sangle, president of Chikhali Moshi Cooperative Housing Societies’ Federation.
PCMC commissioner Shekhar Singh said, “We are trying to standardise the technology used in setting up STPs by empanelling a few agencies.”
