Pimpri: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has raised concerns over the accumulation of dead fish in the Mula river, allegedly caused by chemical-laden and polluted water near the Pimple Nilakh crematorium. 

As a symbolic protest, AAP members presented dead fish to Sanjay Kulkarni, Chief Engineer of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC)’s Environment Department, accusing the authorities of neglect.

The river, which flows through key areas such as Wakad, Kaspatte Wasti, Vishalnagar, Pimple Nilakh, and Sangvi, has seen significant deterioration in water quality. 

AAP claims that the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) and the PCMC have failed to take meaningful action, only conducting superficial inspections. 

The contamination has led to a troubling rise in dead fish, reflecting the worsening state of the river. Similar issues have occurred in the past, notably last year at the Kejubai dam on the Pavana river, but little has been done to address the root causes.

Raviraj Kale of AAP met with PCMC Commissioner Shekhar Singh to demand a thorough investigation by an independent body into the sewage treatment plants servicing the city’s rivers.

Kale emphasized the need for immediate and concrete steps to address the growing pollution problem. He handed over dead fish to Sanjay Kulkarni, the Chief Engineer, in an effort to highlight the severity of the issue.

The city’s rivers, including the 24-kilometer-long Pavana, the 19-kilometer Indrayani, and the 10-kilometer Mula, are all suffering from severe pollution.

Despite plans for river improvement, AAP claims that the project exists only on paper, with no substantial action taken to mitigate the environmental crisis.