Pune's Rivers: Weekly Clean-ups Launch Amidst Pollution Woes

Pune's municipal administration is set to institutionalize weekly clean-up drives for the Mula-Mutha river as part of the River Festival initiative. This move aims to create sustained, visible impact by focusing on the city's most polluted river stretches, moving beyond symbolic annual events. The effort will involve citizens, students, NGOs, and civic officials in collective action to transform neglected areas.

Mayor Manjusha Nagpure has strongly advocated for a complete ban on plastic within Pune's limits, arguing that partial restrictions have proven ineffective. She stressed the importance of long-term behavioral changes, particularly among the youth, and called for increased citizen involvement and consideration of their suggestions in civic programs.

Concerns were raised about the effectiveness of current environmental strategies, with a question posed on whether more focus is placed on concretization than sustainability. The administration also plans to enhance sewage treatment capacity to 1,100 MLD within the next year to address source pollution, while also tackling non-source pollution from construction waste.