Pankaja Munde, Minister of Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development, on Tuesday announced formation of an inquiry committee to investigate the malfunctioning of the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) in Naag River basin. While replying to a call attention motion in the Legislative Council, she said the problem is not limited to Nagpur. “In many parts of the State, STPs are not working properly, or contractors are running them for less than 24 hours to save money,” she said.

 

 

The committee will study the issue and submit a detailed report. The issue was raised by MLCs Dr Parinay Fuke, Prasad Lad, Uma Khapre and Dr Niranjan Dawkhare. In her reply, Minister Munde said pollution had been neglected for years. She expressed concern that Nagpur, one of the fastest-growing cities, has 11 out of 13 STPs not functioning along the Naag River. Similar complaints have been received from Pune and other cities. She also informed that a Rs 1,900-crore Naag River Abatement Project has been launched to reduce pollution in the river.

 

The inquiry committee will examine the matter and submit its findings, she added. During the discussion, Dr Fuke said he was not satisfied with the Government’s earlier response. He pointed out severe pollution in the Gosikhurd dam is due to contaminated water entering it through the Wainganga river, which in turn receives water from Naag river. The Members also stated during the discussion that the Gosikhurd National Irrigation Project provides irrigation and drinking water to Bhandara, Nagpur and Chandrapur districts which covers about 2.5 lakh hectares. Untreated sewage and industrial waste from the Naag river flows into the Kanhan and Wainganga rivers and eventually into the Gosikhurd dam.

 

This polluted water reduces agricultural productivity, leads to salt and fluoride buildup in soil and causes diseases in animals and increases the risk of kidney, skin, and other illnesses in humans, they said. It is also harming the livelihoods of fishermen. The contamination has affected agriculture and drinking water sources across three districts, they categorically stated. Despite repeated protests by the Gosikhurd Project Affected Struggle Committee and several political parties, no strong action has been taken. MLCs demanded that the Government speed up the Rs 1,900-crore project to clean the Naag river and take immediate steps to treat the river water.