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Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
No separate municipal corporation for merged areas by demerging PMC: Samant
Pune: State industries minister Uday Samant said on Thursday there was "no immediate proposal" to form a separate municipal corporation for newly merged areas as the state govt was providing funds for their development. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Samant said PMC was providing adequate funds for development of these areas. The process of drafting a development plan for 23 merged areas was underway. Funds of around Rs 250 crore have been given for water supply projects, while Rs130 crore has been allocated for drainage works. PMC has also promised to give Rs 160 crore for development of roads. "The govt is committed to development of newly merged areas," the minister said. He made the statement during the ongoing monsoon session of state legislative council while replying to a query from MLC Yogesh Tilekar. "The jurisdiction of PMC has expanded exponentially after merger of 32 villages. This is putting undue pressure on civic manpower and infrastructure. A dedicated corporation for these areas is the need of the hour as PMC has become the largest municipal corporation in the state," Tilekar said. Leaders who have demanded a separate civic body said that PMC was finding it difficult to provide basic facilities in the merged areas. Citizens are not getting water, good quality roads, or sewage treatment facilities. According to PMC officials, the proposal to merge 34 villages received a green signal from PMC in 2013-14. After the court's directives, PMC merged 11 villages into its jurisdiction in 2017. Nine villages were merged partly, while two villages, Uruli-Phursungi, were added fully. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now PMC became the biggest municipal corporation in Maharashtra after the inclusion of 23 villages in July 2021. PMC limits will be increased to 518.77 sqkm after this merger. Two areas, including Uruli-Phursungi, were demerged in 2024 as local residents raised concern over poor infrastructure. Elected members across party lines, including deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, have advocated for a new municipal corporation. Areas like Hadapsar, Mundhwa, Wagholi, Manjri, and nearby areas were to be added to the newly formed civic body. Kondhwa abattoir closed for repairs Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Wednesday that PMC has shut the Kondhwa abattoir. The decision was taken after Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) raised concern over pollution. He was speaking at the state assembly session. According to PMC officials, the decision to stop the operation of this facility was taken on Wednesday. "The facility will be restarted only when the issues raised by MPCB are resolved. The cutting of animals has been stopped for last three days," said Sarika Funde, a senior official of PMC's health department. PMC officials said the facility slaughters around 90 animals per day. With 30 individuals on the PMC staff, the facility operates a single shift from 4 am to 11 am. The civic body established an effluent treatment plant at the site in 2019, which was cleared by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB). BOX: Comprehensive transport plan for Pune to resolve traffic issues: Misal Minister of state for urban development and transport Madhuri Misal said on Thursday that a comprehensive transport plan has been prepared to solve the problem of traffic congestion in Pune city. The transport plan will establish coordination among public transport systems. Suggestions and objections will be invited, a meeting will be held with local public representatives and necessary measures will be taken, Misal said. Pune: State industries minister Uday Samant said on Thursday there was "no immediate proposal" to form a separate municipal corporation for newly merged areas as the state govt was providing funds for their development. Samant said PMC was providing adequate funds for development of these areas. The process of drafting a development plan for 23 merged areas was underway. Funds of around Rs 250 crore have been given for water supply projects, while Rs130 crore has been allocated for drainage works. PMC has also promised to give Rs 160 crore for development of roads. "The govt is committed to development of newly merged areas," the minister said. He made the statement during the ongoing monsoon session of state legislative council while replying to a query from MLC Yogesh Tilekar. "The jurisdiction of PMC has expanded exponentially after merger of 32 villages. This is putting undue pressure on civic manpower and infrastructure. A dedicated corporation for these areas is the need of the hour as PMC has become the largest municipal corporation in the state," Tilekar said. Leaders who have demanded a separate civic body said that PMC was finding it difficult to provide basic facilities in the merged areas. Citizens are not getting water, good quality roads, or sewage treatment facilities. According to PMC officials, the proposal to merge 34 villages received a green signal from PMC in 2013-14. After the court's directives, PMC merged 11 villages into its jurisdiction in 2017. Nine villages were merged partly, while two villages, Uruli-Phursungi, were added fully. PMC became the biggest municipal corporation in Maharashtra after the inclusion of 23 villages in July 2021. PMC limits will be increased to 518.77 sqkm after this merger. Two areas, including Uruli-Phursungi, were demerged in 2024 as local residents raised concern over poor infrastructure. Elected members across party lines, including deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, have advocated for a new municipal corporation. Areas like Hadapsar, Mundhwa, Wagholi, Manjri, and nearby areas were to be added to the newly formed civic body. Kondhwa abattoir closed for repairs Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Wednesday that PMC has shut the Kondhwa abattoir. The decision was taken after Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) raised concern over pollution. He was speaking at the state assembly session. According to PMC officials, the decision to stop the operation of this facility was taken on Wednesday. "The facility will be restarted only when the issues raised by MPCB are resolved. The cutting of animals has been stopped for last three days," said Sarika Funde, a senior official of PMC's health department. PMC officials said the facility slaughters around 90 animals per day. With 30 individuals on the PMC staff, the facility operates a single shift from 4 am to 11 am. The civic body established an effluent treatment plant at the site in 2019, which was cleared by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB). BOX: Comprehensive transport plan for Pune to resolve traffic issues: Misal Minister of state for urban development and transport Madhuri Misal said on Thursday that a comprehensive transport plan has been prepared to solve the problem of traffic congestion in Pune city. The transport plan will establish coordination among public transport systems. Suggestions and objections will be invited, a meeting will be held with local public representatives and necessary measures will be taken, Misal said.
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Hindustan Times
City's only abattoir shut for flouting environmental norms
PUNE: The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has ordered the closure of Pune's only civic-run slaughterhouse at Kondhwa for allegedly violating environmental norms. The facility, operated by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), was shut on Tuesday evening following an inspection that revealed direct discharge of untreated effluents into the city's drainage network, which eventually flows into the Mula-Mutha river via Bhairoba Nalla. The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has ordered the closure of Pune's only civic-run slaughterhouse at Kondhwa for allegedly violating environmental norms. (HT) The complete closure operations, being implemented from Wednesday, has sparked concern among traders and butchers over potential meat shortages in both Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, especially when the month of Ashad as per Hindu calendar has started, with demand for meat going up. Fears have also been raised over a possible surge in illegal animal slaughter, which poses a serious public health risk due to the absence of ante-mortem inspection meant to prevent diseased or unfit animals from entering the food chain. The MPCB issued the closure order on June 24, followed by a prosecution notice on June 30, under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. Officials confirmed that the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) disconnected the electricity supply as part of the enforcement. However, the slaughterhouse continued operations using a diesel generator, in violation of the order. Additionally, PMC failed to disconnect the water supply as mandated. An MPCB official said, 'The facility has been discharging waste directly into drainage lines, which has been entering residential drainage systems. PMC's failure to comply with repeated instructions has now led to the closure. Since Wednesday, slaughtering activity has completely stopped.' The abattoir has a sanctioned capacity to process 150 large animals and 200 small animals per day, though it rarely operates at full capacity. However, it remains the only operational slaughterhouse for meat vendors across Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. PMC levies a nominal charge of ₹80 for large animals and ₹15 for small animals per slaughter. Now, with the closure, butchers are facing a crisis. The MPCB's crackdown followed complaints from residents of Nancy Garden and nearby areas in Wanowrie on February 28, 2025. An inspection was conducted the same day, and directions issued. Closure orders followed on May 8 and were reiterated on June 24, followed by prosecution action. Regional officer B. M. Kukade of MPCB said, 'PMC has failed to comply with consent conditions and has been willfully causing pollution, endangering public and aquatic health. The civic body and those responsible for daily operations have been asked to explain why prosecution should not be launched under the Water Act.' Widespread Impact The shutdown has disrupted meat supply to lakhs of consumers and rendered several families, dependent on the meat trade, without livelihood. Local butcher Sadiq Qureshi said, 'The slaughterhouse has existed since British times. The Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) was installed in 2013 following government directions. Residential societies came up later in the area, and during the monsoon, their drainage systems - connected to slaughterhouse lines - got clogged. This was later made into an issue.' Qureshi added that community members met MPCB and PMC officials and submitted a request to restart the facility. 'Hundreds of families will lose income if the slaughterhouse remains shut,' he said. According to PMC officials, the slaughterhouse machinery is 10-15 years old and suffers frequent breakdowns. A proposal to privatise the facility was made two years ago, but it was not approved due to administrative hurdles. PMC has now appointed M/s MITCON as consultants to upgrade the plant. Plans are underway to expand the ETP capacity from 60 KLD to 150 KLD and install a new blood processing unit of 5 KLD capacity. PMC promises compliance Dr Sarika Funde-Bhosale, chief veterinary officer, PMC, said, 'We will comply with all MPCB directives. The procurement process for augmenting the ETP and installing the blood processing unit has begun. These facilities will be operational soon.' She further said that due to the shutdown of the Kondhwa facility, around 100 animals per day are no longer being slaughtered. 'This was communicated to the MPCB. Meanwhile, bio-waste from earlier operations is being processed as compost with the help of JCB and Hyva machines as per PMC's general body resolution,' she added.
Hindustan Times
28-06-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Navi Mumbai rids ‘critically polluted' tag
NAVI MUMBAI: In a significant policy shift poised to inject new life into Navi Mumbai's real estate sector, the city no longer falls under 'Critically Polluted Areas', as it was categorised by the Comprehensive Environmental Pollution Index (CEPI). According to the CEPI score published in 2019, Navi Mumbai fell under the 'Severely/Critically Polluted Areas'. However, as of May, Navi Mumbai registered comfortably below the 60-point threshold with a score of 53.59. CEPI score takes into account the air quality, surface and groundwater, and soil. Construction projects that faced restrictions getting environmental clearances (EC) in the region will now see a drastically simplified process that is expected to unlock hundreds of crores in stalled real estate investments. A much simplified environ-mental clearances process is expected to unlock hundreds of crores in stalled real estate invest-ments. HT Archives (Hindustan Times) This latest development was announced, along with the updated 2024 CEPI data from the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) during the 241st meeting of the State Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC-2) on May 29, the minutes of which were made available online recently. A Bombay High Court order from June 25 also bolstered the development, as it mandated all EC applications in the city to be assessed solely by the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), Maharashtra. Responding to a writ petition filed by the Builders Association Navi Mumbai, the high court directed the state to process, within 8 weeks, all pending EC proposals on the current CEPI data as published by the MPCB. The elimination of the previous requirement for additional scrutiny from the Central Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) reduces approval times for both new and ongoing projects, injecting fresh momentum into commercial and residential segments. Developers, investors, and homebuyers are hopeful about the accelerated revival of delayed housing projects, reduced financial strain, and promising new proposals, including under the NAINA (Navi Mumbai Airport Influence Notified Area) development scheme. Santosh Patil, secretary of the NAINA builder welfare association, said, 'Due to regulatory uncertainty, several projects were stuck financially. This policy shift clears that logjam. The development potential of Navi Mumbai can now be fully realized.'
Hindustan Times
27-06-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
NGT raps MPCB over inaction, seeks response from Pune authorities in RMC pollution case
The western zone bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has pulled up the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), directing several top Pune officials to respond to allegations of environmental violations and public health hazards caused by a ready-mix concrete (RMC) plant operating in the Vadgaon Budruk area. The matter was brought before the NGT through an original application filed in June 2025 involving a complaint by local resident Suyog Kelkar regarding health issues among citizens including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) due to prolonged exposure to cement dust and fugitive emissions from the RMC plant in question. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO) In a hearing held on June 19, the NGT has directed multiple authorities – including the Pune district collector, Pune municipal commissioner, executive engineer of the Rasta Peth-Parvati division, Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) Pune, and representative of the RMC plant in question – to submit their responses. The tribunal noted that all these stakeholders must explain their role, responsibility and steps taken (or lack thereof) to address the alleged violations. Meanwhile, in a separate but related submission to the NGT dated June 19, the MPCB confirmed that it had previously issued a notice of closure to the said RMC plant on June 24, 2024, based on several non-compliances observed during an inspection. Acting upon complaints from nearby residents, the board had ordered the plant to cease operations. During a subsequent visit in June 2025 however, MPCB officials found that the plant was still operating using a 320 KVA diesel generator to continue production despite the notice of closure. The MPCB, represented by advocate Manasi Joshi and Pune regional officer, stated that 'it is now in the process of taking further action against the plant, including sealing it'. However, the NGT bench comprising honourable justice Dinesh Kumar Singh (judicial member) and Dr Vijay Kulkarni (expert member) expressed strong dissatisfaction stating: 'We fail to understand as to why the said order has not been passed against the said plant till now.' The bench questioned the delay on the part of the MPCB in enforcing compliance even after documented violations. When contacted, neither the MPCB regional officer nor sub-regional officer responded to the call. The matter was brought before the NGT through an original application filed in June 2025 involving a complaint by local resident Suyog Kelkar regarding health issues among citizens including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) due to prolonged exposure to cement dust and fugitive emissions from the RMC plant in question. Kelkar complained that the plant's operations have led to severe degradation of air quality in the residential neighbourhood. The NGT formally admitted the original application and directed all parties to file their reply affidavits within four weeks. The matter is now listed for further hearing on July 31, 2025. The case underscores rising concerns over urban air pollution and the apparent gaps in enforcement by regulatory authorities. With growing public health implications, especially in densely populated areas like Vadgaon Budruk, intervention by the NGT is seen as a critical step towards holding lax officials and those violating environmental norms accountable.
Indian Express
23-06-2025
- Science
- Indian Express
Prof Ganapati D Yadav selected for ‘Paryavaran Bhushan' award
Renowned engineering scientist Professor Ganapati D Yadav has been selected for the prestigious 'Paryavaran Bhushan' award, which will be jointly presented by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) and the Environmental Club of India in July. Prof Yadav, former Vice Chancellor of the Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), Mumbai, currently serves as the National Science Chair under the Government of India. He is also a Bhatnagar Fellow, the highest distinction awarded by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The 'Paryavaran Bhushan' award celebrates individuals who have made outstanding contributions to environmental protection. Prof Yadav's selection underscores his lifelong dedication to green science and his impact on the global push for sustainability. Prof Yadav is recognised globally for his pioneering work in green hydrogen, circular economy, and carbon dioxide valorisation — key domains driving the global pursuit of net-negative energy transition and sustainable development. Prof Yadav's research has played a critical role in advancing sustainable energy solutions. With over 150 national and international accolades, awards, fellowships and distinctions, Prof Yadav is one of the most decorated engineering scientists in India.
