Maharashtra officials face heat over water pollution

Maharashtra's Chief Secretary, Rajesh Aggarwal, has officially reprimanded the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) and the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) for their alleged inaction concerning water contamination in Nashik. The chief secretary expressed strong dissatisfaction during a high-level meeting held in Mumbai, specifically addressing the chromium contamination detected at the Nandini-Godavari confluence and the borewell water pollution in Datta Nagar and Ambad MIDC.

Aggarwal issued directives for immediate purification of the Godavari River and a resolution to the borewell water issue. He also voiced concerns regarding the police administration's failure to implement Bombay High Court orders from 2018, which mandated measures to prevent river pollution. This meeting was convened amidst a contempt petition filed by Rajesh Pandit related to a 2012 public interest litigation concerning Godavari pollution.

The Bombay High Court had previously recorded alarming chromium levels of 50.3 mg/L in contaminated water entering the Godavari. The court described the contamination as "aghast" and found the associated photographs equally disturbing. While the NMC stated that the chromium contamination is not their direct responsibility, they confirmed that the use of contaminated borewell water in affected areas has ceased and alternative safe water is being provided.

Regarding the Godavari River purification, NMC officials confirmed that work is in progress, including the construction of four new sewage treatment plants (STPs) and the upgrading of an existing one. They also highlighted the development of a sewerage network along the riverbanks to prevent untreated sewage discharge. These purification efforts are projected to be completed by March 2027.