Mumbai: The state will soon get a comprehensive plan to prevent untreated sewage from entering the water bodies. The plan will be developed by the state’s environment department, which will also promote the reuse of polluted water. Additionally, a technical cell will also be established to implement innovative technologies for pollution control and water management in municipal and metropolitan areas.

The decision was announced by Environment Minister Pankaja Munde on Monday during a conference on ‘Municipal Wastewater Management Gaps, Sustainability & Way Forward’ organized jointly by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) and IIT Bombay.

“Maharashtra has as much as 4500 MLD untreated municipal sewage entering rivers and lakes, polluting the natural water bodies. As of 2018, the state has 53 river stretches that were under Category I pollution level. However, as of 2024, the majority of the stretches are been brought down to Category IV and V,” MPCB member secretary Avinas Dhakne told the FPJ recently.

Dhakne added that the state government targets to reach zero untreated sewage emission into water bodies by 2029, and the events similar to the one of Monday, which was held jointly with IIT Bombay will help local bodies to under the latest technologies that can used to treat sewage, especially at river streams.