State plans green access to fund cleaning of rivers, nullahs

 

Mumbai: The state environment department has proposed an environmental access to financially support its plan to clean all rivers and nullahs over the next five years.
    Every department in Mantralaya has been asked to submit a vision document on what it proposes to do during the current government’s fiveyear tenure.
    In its vision document, the environment department has stated that domestic sewage is the single biggest cause of river pollution. The daily quantum of sewage produced is around 35,656 million litres, of which only 18% is treated before being discharged into a water body. Mumbai alone produces over 40% of the state’s total sewage.
    Data collected from April 2005 to April 2008 shows the BOD faecal coliform parameters are in excess at river locations. Upper-Bhima, Ulhas, Nag, lower Godavari, Krishna, upper-Tapi and Purna rivers receive a large quantity of sewage. “The disposal of untreated sewage impacts river water quality, availability of potable water and adversely affects people’s health,’’ reads the report.
    In phase I, the department plans to set up sewage treatment plants in eight municipal corporations and 44 towns at an estimated cost of Rs 495 crore. In phase II, the remaining 1,860 towns and 14 municipal corporations are to be covered at an estimated cost of Rs 2,245 crore.
    The department will set also up a State River Conservation Authority. Debi Goenka, convener, Conservation Action Trust, said a lack of political will was responsible for the failure of plans.