Taking swift and strict action against dumping grey water and muck in Pohra river from a suction-cum-jetting machine, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) is going to impose fines on the responsible employees for this act. ‘The Hitavada’, on Friday, published a report with photographs titled “Mockery of cleanliness: NMC suction vehicle dumping sewage in Pohra river” which clearly showed a suction-cum-jetting machine (MH-31-DZ-0772) of Hanuman Nagar Zone of NMC, deployed to suck out the muck and other solid material stuck in the sewage chambers and storm drains, directly dumping sewage and slug into Pohra river from a culvert in Hudkeshwar area.

 

On one hand, NMC is spending crores of rupees with the help of Central and State Governments for cleaning of Naag, Pili and Pohra rivers of the city and working to convert these rivers from open drainage to clean rivers, on the other hand NMC itself is dumping collected sewage in these rivers openly without any hesitation. NMC started Rs 900 crore Pohra River Pollution Abatement Project last year, in which 500 km of sewer pipeline to be laid. It includes 366 km new sewage network and replacing 173 km of old line in South-West and South Nagpur.

 

However, this type of activities by NMC raises question over the commitment of civic body towards clean rivers. Normally, NMC blames and imposes fine on citizens for littering, spreading garbage in public places and polluting water bodies in cities. However, when the civic body itself does the same activity, then who will be accountable for such acts? After the report in ‘The Hitavada’, the Solid Waste Management Department of NMC swung into action and decided to impose fine on the responsible employees.

 

“We are going to take stern action against the responsible persons who are indulged in the activity. We also have strictly instructed all the ten zones not to dump any kind of sewage waste in water bodies,” Dr Gajendra Mahalle, Deputy Commissioner, Solid Waste Management Department told ‘The Hitavada’. To ensure prompt attention to complaints about choking of sewage and storm line in the city, NMC is using suction-cum-jetting machines and for the same, the civic body ordered seven such machines in which four have already arrived. As per the standard operating procedure (SOP), the suction cum jetting machines should dump the sewage in sewage treatment plants (STPs) situated nearby or it can be dumped in sewage chambers. “We have also instructed all zones to dump the sewage and slug in STP only. Dumping sewage in rivers are strictly prohibited,” said Dr Mahalle.