Pune: Residents of several large housing townships near Hinjewadi IT Park have raised concerns about an escalating public health threat, alleging that contaminated water was being drawn directly from the heavily polluted Mula river.For thousands of these families, there is little escape from the problem. With no alternative water sources or municipal pipeline connections in place, the residents said they were compelled to rely on river water for everyday use as private tankers were no match for the massive demand from these townships.“The river has deteriorated considerably and now resembles a drainage channel. If people can’t get clean drinking water, what can they expect from the authorities? How are they supposed to cope without safe drinking water?” asked Ravi Pawar, a resident of Park Titan society, which has about 3,500 flats housing 10,000-12,000 people.Pawar said builders had secured permission several years ago to draw water directly from the river when its condition was far better.The most visible sign of the crisis has been the recurring appearance of yellow-coloured water flowing from taps. The residents alleged that repeated complaints over the last three years had failed to bring any lasting solution. The issue regained attention on Sunday when Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray visited the affected river stretch and demanded immediate intervention.In Blue Ridge township, home to 17,000 residents across 5,000 flats, frustration has boiled over. “The river has been polluted for years and it gets worse in summer when water levels drop and the flow turns stagnant. The yellow-water problem, which usually appears in Dec or Jan, started in late Sept this year,” resident Namrata Naik said.She said residents have continued to witness discoloured tap water despite the township’s filtration systems and individual treatment units. According to the residents, total dissolved solids (TDS) levels have hovered around 500.The anger stems not only from the quality of water but also from what the residents view as years of official inaction. They claimed to have approached the gram panchayat, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) and the irrigation department on multiple occasions. A silent march in 2024, repeated protests and sustained social media campaigns have all failed to deliver meaningful change.The residents alleged that untreated sewage, industrial effluents and garbage continued to find their way into the river. They also raised concerns over a reportedly non-functional MIDC sewage treatment plant, claiming it was contributing to the river’s pollution load.Naik recalled that the issue reached a disturbing low in Jan 2024. “Residents had spotted bloodworms in tap water,” she recalled.The incidents did not stop there. Dead fish were reported along the Blue Ridge stretch of the river in Sept, while the residents also noticed an oily film spreading across the water surface. They have flagged open garbage dumping and burning near the riverbanks, alleging that the practices were worsening both air and water pollution across Hinjewadi.Amid mounting pressure, MPCB officials met residents on Tuesday to discuss the issue. A senior board official said the agency had been pursuing complaints and had already issued notices to multiple stakeholders, including PMRDA, gram panchayats and MIDC. “We visited the river stretch and other locations identified as possible sources of pollution. Appropriate action will be initiated. A meeting with the district collector is also scheduled later this week to discuss issues involving other govt agencies, including PMRDA, MIDC and gram panchayats, and work towards a long-term solution,” the official said.The official acknowledged that a significant part of the problem stemmed from the absence of sewage treatment infrastructure in several villages along the river. “At present, most of these villages do not have a treatment facility due to which untreated sewage is released directly into the river, causing severe pollution,” the official said.According to MPCB, PMRDA has now planned sewage treatment plants for these villages in an effort to prevent untreated wastewater from being discharged directly into Mula river.
