PUNE: The civic body has decided to set up a company to revive the dying Mula and Mutha rivers and the firm will have on board environmentalists, elected members and PMC officials as directors.
Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) officials said an over 44-km river stretch will be handed over to the special purpose vehicle (SPV) as part of the 'Abatement of pollution in the
Mula-Mutha rivers' project. The Centre has funded the project with help from an international funding agency. The SPV will now coordinate the project.
"Our experience of SPVs has been good. Projects like Metro and smart cities have gathered pace after formation of such companies," said mayor
Mukta Tilak, who would be one of the directors of the proposed firm.
She told TOI that the new company will ensure better communication between different stakeholders and improve coordination between different government agencies.
PMC officials said the proposal to set up the firm has been submitted to the standing committee. The panel is expected to take a call on the firm on Tuesday.
"Once the approval comes from the standing committee, the proposal will be sent to the PMC's general body and then the state government. The final nod to firm will come from the state government," a senior civic official said.
The new SPV will be formed as per the companies act. Nearly six government agencies have a direct role in managing rivers and the riverfront. The company will share some responsibilities of the government agencies.
"A company, titled Sabarmati Riverfront Development Corporation Ltd, was formed to develop Sabarmati riverfront. The SPV for the rivers in Pune will be formed on the same lines. The rights of river development should be with the company," the proposal stated.
According to the project, the major components proposed include construction of 11 Sewage
Treatment Plants (STPs). This will lead to creation of an additional treatment capacity of 396 million litre per day (MLD) over the existing treatment capacity of 477 MLD. Plans are also afoot to lay 113.6-km of sewage lines and renovation and rehabilitation of the existing four intermediate pumping stations.
Once the project is completed by January 2022, the total STP capacity available in Pune will be 873 MLD. This will be sufficient to treat sewage generated till 2027.
The project also includes installation of a system for centralized monitoring of functioning of the STPs, construction of 24 units of community toilets in slums and fringe areas, public participation and awareness programme and GIS mapping of sewage facilities for better assets management.
The Mula and Mutha are two of the 302 polluted river stretches of the country identified by the Central Pollution Control Board.
The Mula and Mutha are two of the 302 polluted river stretches of the country identified by the Central Pollution Control Board.
