Pune: the long-standing issue of establishing a Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) in the Botanical Garden of the city's Agricultural College has seen little progress due to bureaucratic delays. Initially, the Forest Department and the State Biodiversity Board were responsible for approving the land proposal.
However, they have now shifted the burden of granting final approval to Mahatma Phule Agricultural University, Rahuri, which the Municipal Corporation has been actively pursuing. Early signs indicate that the university may provide the required clearance.
For over a year, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has been entangled in a frustrating struggle with government departments over the allocation of land for the project.
The central government, with funding from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), is spearheading a city-wide initiative to address sewage and wastewater treatment. As part of this effort, 11 Sewage Treatment Plants were planned.
Ten of these projects have commenced, with most progressing smoothly. However, the STP proposed at the Agricultural College's Botanical Garden remains stuck in limbo.
The land in question hosts a municipal pumping station and had been reserved for the treatment project and an access road. However, since the area was declared a "Biodiversity Heritage Site" by the Forest Department, the Municipal Corporation faced significant technical challenges in advancing the project.
In response to these issues, the central government intervened last year, directing the state to resolve the hurdles swiftly.
A high-level meeting followed in December, bringing together top officials from the Forest Department, Biodiversity Board, Municipal Corporation, and representatives from agricultural research institutions.
The outcome was a decision to submit a revised proposal to exclude the required land from the Biodiversity Heritage Site designation. The PMC followed these instructions and sent the proposal to the Biodiversity Board.
In March 2024, the Biodiversity Board issued a positive directive, stating no objections to allocating the land. However, despite these instructions, further bureaucratic delays ensued.
It wasn't until June 2024 that a follow-up meeting was held, where it became clear that further action was needed from the Forest Department to finalize the approval process.
The final step in the approval process now lies with Mahatma Phule Agricultural University, which is expected to make a favorable decision soon. Once approved, the project will be able to proceed without further delays.
While the Municipal Corporation has been working tirelessly to resolve the issue, the project’s approval has only moved forward after pressure from Union Minister of State Murlidhar Mohol, who assured he would follow up on the matter.