Officials check for sewage in Godavari

NASHIK: Officials of various departments in the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC), along with green activists, on Tuesday visited a stretch of the Godavari to check for sewage from nullahs released into the river.
It was observed that at present, sewage from none of the 19 nullahs was being directly released into the river. But the green brigade has been insisting on prohibiting pilgrims on the stretch till all the work for curbing river pollution has been completed.
The activists had filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Bombay High Court against government officials around three years ago and held the latter responsible for river pollution. The court had directed officials to stop the flow of sewage into the river. It had also appointed the National Environment Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) to conduct a survey and give its recommendations to curb river pollution. NEERI gave its recommendations to the court and said the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) should impose conditions on the NMC to maintain A II class of the river.
On April 6 this year, the petitioners filed an affidavit in the HC mentioning that there were many nullahs that were releasing sewage into the river. They added that the foam coming out of the sewage treatment plants (STP) at Agartakli and Tapovan were also adding to the river pollution. This prompted a visit from Bardhan Phata Nullah to Kapila Nullah by officials from the office of the revenue commissioner, MPCB, NMC officers as well as the activists.
Earlier, sewage from the nullahs used to directly mix with river water. Tuesday’s survey showed sewage from the nullahs was permanently or temporarily diverted. But the petitioners insisted on complete prohibition of release of sewage. They had also visited the sewage treatment plants earlier and discussed the issue of STP outputs and the quality of the treated water.
“We have given phytorid treatment to Someshwar Nullah for water purification. However, it being an expensive process, we cannot get it done everywhere. We want to do something sustainable like wetland treatment. Grass and some wild species of plants can be grown, which is not of use to animals or humans. But these can sustain the water and also release oxygen,” said Prakash Waghmode, coordinator of the Green Kumbh Committee, who represented the divisional commissioner during the survey.
About the output of the STPs, he said, “The NMC has followed standard norms of STP outlets, which is 30 bio-chemical oxygen demand (BOD). However, now it is required to be brought down as per NEERI’s recommendations. At Tapovan, there can be linear outlets rather than one outlet. Linear outlets reduce the impact of the flow of treated water,” he said.
Superintending engineer of the NMC sewage and water supply department UB Pawar said, “We have diverted all nullahs permanently or temporarily.”
Two of the 19 nullahs, Anandwalli Nullah and Lendi Nullah, have been temporarily diverted. “If it rains heavily, sewage can go into the river. A mobile STP can be fitted at Anandwalli as there is a minor issue of land acquisition for permanent diversion,” said Rajesh Pandit, one of the petitioners.
The officials said the temporary diversions would be converted into permanent ones before the Kumbh. They added that there was no pollution at Chopda Nullah but the water gushed out from a pumping station located at a distance from the spot. As a precautionary measure, the petitioners suggested wetland treatment there.
At Nasardi Nullah, the diversion has been made just before the confluence of Nasardi and Godavari. “But Nasardi still carries sewage, though it does not mix with Godavari water. But NMC officials have agreed to stop it. The STP outputs have to bring down the BOD from 30 to 10 as recommended by NEERI and look into the foam formation,” said Pandit.