PUNE: Toxic foam appearing on the Indrayani and Pavana rivers in the twin cities over the last few days has raised serious concerns about river pollution. The layer has renewed allegations against the authorities for inaction.The authorities accepted in a recent meeting that only around 56% of water released into the Indrayani river is treated at sewage treatment plants; 44% is released directly into the river, causing pollution, said Shirish Karekar of Indrayani Seva Foundation.He added that PCMC, MIDC, Lonavala, Talegaon and Dehu municipal councilsall accepted responsibility.Rahul Sarwade of Thergaon Social Foundation claimed that the PCMC has no proper network connecting to STPs to treat all sewage water generated from residential and commercial establishments. Sewage water is directly released into the Pavana. There is no STP between Thergaon and Kalewadi except a small unit in Chinchwad. At some locations, sewage water is also released into storm water lines and goes directly into the river, bypassing STPs, he said.Sanjay Kulkarni, head, environment department, refuted, In PCMC limits, water released from all nullahs except one goes through STPs. Work at the remaining plant will also get be finished in a week.He added, The majority of pollution in the Indrayani is caused by industrial water; around the Pavana, there are no major industries but some small units causing pollution. There is a need to plan joint action by all stakeholders.We also published the following articles recentlyRiver pollution: Inspection of STPs orderedThe Gujarat high court has ordered the Gujarat Pollution Control Board to inspect sewage treatment plants (STPs) to ensure they are functioning correctly. The court was alerted to the malfunctioning of the STPs by amicus curiae Hemang Shah. The Chief Justice stated that only four out of the 10 STPs in the AMC limits were up to standard, and described the situation as "befooling yourself". The amicus curiae also highlighted an industrial unit that was illegally discharging effluent in the MEGA pipeline and called for an FIR to be filed.Farming with polluted water fails to get political colourIn Sanganer, candidates for assembly elections are not addressing the issue of polluted water being used for irrigation. Farmers in the area are forced to use contaminated water from dyeing and printing units, as they have no other option. The water is visibly polluted with industrial waste and sewage, yet farmers continue to use it for their crops. The government has failed to regulate the discharge of waste water from dyeing units or provide alternative sources of clean water for irrigation. Some farmers have even started their own dyeing or printing units to make money alongside farming.Delhi: Fire department starts sprinkling water at 13 pollution hotspotsThe Delhi Fire Services has begun a water-sprinkling operation at 13 pollution hotspots in the city to address the worsening air pollution crisis. These areas were selected based on their high concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5 pollutants. The operation aims to settle dust and improve air quality. The city recorded a 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 454 on Sunday, categorizing it as "severe." In response, emergency measures have been implemented, including restrictions on polluting vehicles and construction activities. The odd-even car rationing scheme will also be implemented from November 13 to 20.

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