Pune: The state biodiversity board, along with the forest department, spent nearly one-and-a-half years on the proposal for final approval of land for a sewage treatment plant (STP) in the botanical garden of the college of agriculture.
Finally, a proposal to allot 30 gunthas of land for the purpose was approved at a meeting of The Mahatma Phule Agricultural University, Rahuri. It was also recommended that the state government should approve it. This has finally paved the way for the project.
The central government is setting up the project with the financial support of JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) to treat sewage and sewage in the city.
Under this, sewage treatment plants (STPs) are being set up at 11 places in the city. Work on 10 centres started by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is in progress. Work on the centre at the Agricultural College, however, was stalled. Sakal had followed up on the question of other departments creating hurdles for the eco-friendly project.
The current state of work!
The municipal pumping station is located on the site of the botanical garden. The land was reserved by the BMC in the development plan for a sewage treatment plant and a connecting road. However, the BMC was facing technical difficulties as the forest department had declared the site as a biodiversity heritage area.
A central government team had last year reviewed the project and directed the state government to address the problem. In December last year, a meeting was held at the office of the Principal Secretary of the Forest Department in Mumbai with senior officials including principal chief conservator of forests, secretary of state biodiversity board, regional chief conservator of forests, municipal commissioner, chief engineer, deputy conservator of forests and associate research director of national agricultural research project.
It also discussed sending a revised proposal to exclude the site from the Biodiversity Heritage Area. Accordingly, the revised proposal was submitted to the State Biodiversity Board in Nagpur.
The board gave a positive order that there was no objection to the allotment of the land. However, the forest department said it would follow up as the order was not clear. Civic officials were also upset with the toll-sharing between the two organisations.
Finally, the Mahatma Phule Agricultural University of Rahuri discussed the proposal for final approval of the bmc. The Maharashtra Council of Agricultural Education and Research will make a recommendation for the approval of the state government.
Jagdish Khanore, Project Coordinator, JICA, Pune Municipal Corporation said, "A proposal to allot land for a sewage treatment plant in botanical gardens has been approved at a meeting of The Mahatma Phule Agricultural University, Rahuri. Now, after getting the approval of the state government, the work of this center can be completed."
Work on these centres under JICA is underway
1) Naidu Hospital
2) Bhairoba Nala
3) Dhanori
4) Kharadi
5) Warje
6) Wadgaon
7) Baner
8) Mundhwa
9) Wakdewadi
10) Fish Seed Center