GBS-hit Sinhagad Rd area to get 1st water treatment unit

Pune: Three months after the GBS outbreak in Dhayari and adjoining localities, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has proposed setting up a Rs 250-crore water treatment plant (WTP) in the Sinhagad Road area, which currently receives raw water from the Khadakwasla dam through wells. The plant, with a capacity to treat 100 MLD of water, is expected to be commissioned soon.
According to the health department, Pune has reported 230 Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) cases and 12 fatalities, with 95 of the cases originating from areas recently brought under the PMC limits. Specialists have linked contaminated water as a key contributor to GBS surge, stressing the importance of enhancing water quality standards.
"The civic administration is working on more details to finalise the execution plan and get the necessary nod for the WTP. PMC is likely that the state irrigation department's land will be utilised for the WTP. PMC will get in touch with the department regarding the land allotment," a civic official said.
The proposed water treatment plant is a crucial project for the area, particularly after a surge in GBS cases in Dhayari, Khadakwasla, Kirkatwadi, Nandoshi and Nanded over the past three months. Although cases have decreased, the residents have been advocating for a dedicated treatment plant to ensure access to clean drinking water.
PMC officials said the civic administration would also seek financial assistance from state govt for the WTP and other infrastructure works to be taken up in the Sinhagad Road area.
Khadakwasla resident Naresh Jadhav said experts linked contaminated water for GBS cases, stressing the importance of enhancing water quality standards. He said PMC supplied untreated water from Khadakwasla to community wells, where it underwent chlorination treatment before reaching households.
A senior civic official said, "We are working on measures to improve water supply (in the Sinhagad Road area). As an immediate measure, PMC has installed chlorination units at the wells in Barangani Mala and Nanded, that supply water to local pockets. The chlorination units ensure the mixing of adequate quantities of chlorine in the water before it is supplied to distribution lines. The plan to set up the WTP in Khadakwasla will be tabled before the PMC's estimate committee for approval."
PMC is also exploring the possibility of supplying water from the Wadgaon treatment plant to the Dhayari areas by laying a pipeline. This idea is, however, yet to materialise. "The proposal faces technical challenges. It is, therefore, unlikely to be taken up for execution immediately," the official said.
Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar has directed PMC to prepare a comprehensive plan to improve water supply in the Sinhagad Road area and supply treated water.
Last week, PMC officials has claimed of cleaning all the 52 public water tanks in their jurisdiction, an exercise they began after the city reported the large outbreak of GBS cases. The officials said the cleaning drive was initiated in Feb. "The water department carried out the cleaning with help from the ward offices. The drive's aim was to reduce chances of water contamination during storage," said a senior official of the PMC's water department.