Pune’s Mula-Mutha river pollution-control project is nearing a major implementation milestone, with nine of 11 sewage treatment plants expected to be completed and operational by the end of December, while two plants face further delays, according to the Pune Municipal Corporation’s sewage department.
Five sewage treatment plants with a combined capacity of 111 million litres per day are already operational under the project. They are located at Warje, with a capacity of 26 MLD; Wadgaon, 28 MLD; Mundhwa, 20 MLD; the Fish Seed Centre in Hadapsar, 7 MLD; and Kharadi, 30 MLD.
The project is being implemented by the municipal corporation with assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency, or JICA, to reduce pollution entering the Mula and Mutha rivers. The corporation had taken up the construction of 11 sewage treatment plants under the project, which has faced technical difficulties during implementation over the past three to four years.
Two additional plants at Dhanori and Bhairoba Nala have been completed and are undergoing testing. The Dhanori plant has a capacity of 33 MLD, while the Bhairoba Nala plant can process 75 MLD. The municipal administration expects sewage treatment operations at these facilities to begin within the next one and a half months.
The Baner and Naidu plants are also nearing completion, but their commissioning process includes testing and a period for achieving the required water quality. Baner has a capacity of 25 MLD and Naidu has a capacity of 127 MLD. Testing at both plants is expected to begin in December, while the required water quality is expected to be achieved in January. Together, the four plants expected to become operational around the end of December are planned to provide 260 MLD of treatment capacity.
Sanjay Gaikwad, acting superintendent engineer in the municipal corporation’s sewage department, said the work on nine of the 11 plants had been completed and that the corporation planned to commission them by the end of December. He said the remaining two plants would require several additional months for completion.
The 15 MLD plant at Narveer Tanajiwadi has been delayed because of technical difficulties. The municipal corporation is planning to complete it by September 2027. The 10 MLD plant at the Botanical Garden in Aundh has faced a site-related issue, although the corporation said the location matter had been resolved. A soil-testing case concerning the site is before the National Green Tribunal, with a hearing scheduled for 18 November.
The corporation has already undertaken soil testing, prepared the plant design and completed other technical work related to the Aundh facility, according to the report. However, actual completion of the plant could take another two years.
The overall project cost is reported at ₹990 crore, with a planned treatment capacity of 396 MLD. The municipal corporation’s existing sewage-treatment capacity is reported at 477 MLD. The next immediate milestones are the completion of testing at Dhanori and Bhairoba Nala, the start of testing at Baner and Naidu, and the National Green Tribunal hearing on the Aundh site.
