PUNE: The residents of River Residency in Chikhali are complaining that the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP), which is under construction by the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) at Indrayani river bank, is getting flooded due to rising water levels. 

The residents stated that this occurence used to happen last year also.  However, PCMC Commissioner Shravan Hardikar said that the STP will not be affected by the flood as the construction will be elevated by 0.5 metre from the ground level.

Manoj Marathe, Chairman of River Residency N2, which is situated next to the Indrayani river bank where STP is being constructed, said, “As the river bank is flooding, there is no use of constructing STP on it.”

“Imagine what will happen if, after the construction, the sewage water gets mixed with the river water due to floods? Other than getting the sewage water treated in the STP, the sewage water will get mixed with the river water and pollute it during monsoon,” Marathe added.

Chaitanya Reddy, another resident of the society, said, “Despite informing the Municipal Commissioner about the flooding, they have still gone ahead with the construction.”

Hardikar said, “As mentioned earlier, according to the May 2018 GR by Irrigation Department in its 7th point mentioned that STP can be constructed on the river bank. Also the State government had approved the Development Plan (DP) for the villages in 2008. In which the DP had a list of plots reserved for roads, hospitals, gardens, STPs and others. And according to the DP, PCMC can construct an STP on the river bank.” “The residents should not worry about the flood and any other problems related to STP because the foundation will be elevated by 0.5 metres from the ground level. Therefore, even if the river water enters the river bank, it will not reach the STP and no problems will be caused,” Hardikar added.