A civil appeal petition filed by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) in the Supreme Court said that 747 megalitres (ML) of untreated sewage is sent into four rivers of Mumbai every day. For reference, one megalitre equals 10 lakh litres.
The petition reveals that the Mithi river receives 285 ML of untreated sewage per day, while the Poisar river sees 67 ML per day, followed by Dahisar and Oshiwara/Walbut rivers that see 56 and 17 ML of daily untreated sewage, respectively.
Officials from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) mentioned that tenders for infrastructure works aimed at diverting the sewage away from these rivers are currently under process. The agency is planning to redirect the sewer lines to the civic waste disposal and treatment systems.
Some of the proposed works include the construction of new sewer lines, installation of drainage interceptors at crucial locations, setting up small capacity sewage treatment plants (STPs), and building the retaining walls in the sewers.
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Additional Municipal Commissioner of the BMC, P. Velrasu said, “As per the instructions of the National Green Tribunal, we have already floated the tenders. Financial packages have also been opened, and we are in fact in the final process of awarding the work to appropriate contractors. But the work, being undertaken as part of the Municipal Sewerage Improvement Program, is expected to be finished only in about three to four years.”
The submission by the MCGM was accessed by Hindustan Times, revealing that the existing plan only accounts for a portion of the sewage being dumped into the rivers. The MCGM has made contingencies for 426 ML of sewage per day, which leaves out 321 ML of sewage.
The Director of NGO Vanashakti, Stalin D, said, “This is a glaring problem which the MCGM has not even acknowledged before the apex court.”
When questioned about the same, Velrasu said, “We will aim to divert as much untreated sewage as possible, as well as reduce the quantum of DWF (dry weather flow) being generated.”
Also read - BMC Cuts Off Sewage Lines Of Tax Defaulters
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