PIMPRI CHINCHWAD: The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has decided to conduct various public awareness drives to check the rising pollution within its limits.The decision was taken following the presentation of the environment status report (ESR) for 2017-18 before the general body of PCMC on Friday. “Rapid urbanization, growth of industries and change in lifestyle are the main factors for rising pollution,” the report stated.It said release of untreated effluents through canals, garbage and ash from crematoriums were causing pollution in Pavana, Indrayani and Mula rivers. “Water hyacinth propagates in rivers due to these effluents. The municipal corporation spends crores of rupees on the removal of the water hyacinth,” the report stated.The PCMC supplies around 450 MLD (million litres/day) water to the city, which generates around 290 MLD sewage water. Although the city has sewage treatment plants with 333MLD capacity, only 240MLD is treated every day. A total of untreated 50MLD effluent water is released into the rivers, the report stated, adding that nearly 70% of air pollution is caused by the increasing number of vehicles.Vikas Patil, environmental activist and member of the Pune district environment co mmittee, said the STPs are not functioning properly because of frequent power disruption. “Sewage is directly released into the rivers through canals. There is no action plan for reducing this menace,” he said.Municipal commissioner Shravan Hardikar said the civic body has now called for a sustainable environment-friendly and financial development plan to reduce the pollution levels.To control the rising pollution, the civic body will conduct drives for garbage segregation at source and tree plantation. It will also prepare flood lines to prevent encroachments on riverbeds, while come up with a mechanism to process 100% of domestic and industrial effluent water at its 13 sewage treatment plants.It will also remove water hyacinth and encroachments in the rivers flowing through its limits.Meanwhile, civic officials said the construction of the common effluent treatment plant for medium- and smallscale industries will take some more time. The plant will come up at Bhosari industrial area in T block.

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