The Pashan lake spread over 144 acres was built in the British era for water storage and has a catchment area of around 40 sq km. After beginning the rejuvenation of the Mula-Mutha river cutting across the city, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has now decided to rejuvenate lakes in the city to restore water bodies to their natural condition and joined hands with local citizens, non-governmental organisations.
“We want to bring the Katraj, Pashan and Jambhulwadi lakes in Pune City to their natural condition. Thus, the rejuvenation of lakes is being pushed to be done in the best possible scientific way,” said PMC environment officer Mangesh Dighe.
The lakes in Pune experience pollution from sewage, heavy growth of water hyacinth and weeds every year and the PMC deploys agencies for physical removal of water hyacinth from these lakes. “The PMC has invited innovative proposals for scientific rejuvenation of water bodies such that the water quality in these lakes improves as per the specified limits given by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and should be able to sustain aquatic life,” Dighe said.
Recently, the PMC constituted a 16-member ‘Pashan lake development and restoration committee’ with a few residents and expert NGOs in the field as its members. They are entrusted with the lake’s rejuvenation by making it free of water hyacinth, stopping the entry of polluted water into the lake and the measures to preserve the natural condition of the lake.
The Pashan lake spread over 144 acres was built in the British era for water storage and has a catchment area of around 40 sq km. In the southwest of Pune city, it attracts migratory birds, making it a popular spot for birdwatchers. It has two inlets and two outlets. “We have been working on the restoration of Ramnadi for the last three years and have also done a detailed study of the Pashan lake. The development activities at the Pashan lake after 2008 have damaged its rich biodiversity. If the restoration work is taken up now then we can see the positive results after 15 years. A preliminary study has shown that the land use pattern has changed drastically in the last one-and-a-half decades with the increase of built-up area around the lake. The forest area has reduced in the area leading to a heavy flow of material into the lake,” said Virendra Chitrav of Kirloskar Vasundhara, who has already launched Ramnadi Restoration Mission and is a member of the Pashan Lake Development Committee.
“The committee has proposed drone survey of streams, rivers which drain into the Pashan lake to identify the reduced depth of water bodies, encroachment alongside water bodies, natural drainage and water bodies in the vicinity along with data of tree cover,” said Vaishali Patkar of Climate Collective Pune environmental foundation, who is also a member of the committee.
Patkar said that the committee also plans watershed surveys by installing rain gauges to ascertain rainfall in catchment areas and also the installation of flow sensors for getting information on the water level. The water quality survey is done through periodic laboratory testing of water samples from water bodies as well as groundwater to find the contaminants and determine pollution sources.
To bring a check on pollution due to solid waste management, the committee has proposed to undertake door-to-door surveys of properties which are located next to Ramnadi and the Pashan lake to identify garbage dumping and create awareness along with legal action against those dumping waste. The PMC will check the sewage connections and take up necessary infrastructure work to ensure no sewage waste goes into the Pashan lake.
The PMC has decided to rope in a private agency that would undertake environmental awareness activities at the civic owned-biodiversity interpretation centre at Pashan Lake.
“The biodiversity centre located at Pashan lake is a new facility developed by the PMC to promote actions towards sustainable development by various stakeholders. The PMC is inviting proposals for the operation and maintenance of the biodiversity interpretation centre as an environment educational centre for creating awareness activities. The organisation shall run the centre independently on a voluntary basis without financial remuneration from the PMC. The organisation will conduct educational training, workshops, awareness programmes, temporary exhibitions at the centre for school and college children, youth and senior citizen groups,” said Dighe.
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