Pune: An alarming incident occurred in Shirur where an unknown individual dumped nitric acid into the Kamini stream from a vehicle, according to health officer Nargide.
The incident has caused significant concern in the Ranjangaon area as the stream's water flows directly into the Kondhapuri reservoir, which supplies water to Ranjangaon Ganpati, Shikrapur, and other nearby villages, as well as hundreds of farmers' fields.
On Wednesday (July 10) night, an unknown driver dumped the acid near the new bridge on the Shikrapur-Malthan road at Ganegaon limits, resulting in a strong odor spreading through the area. The chemical also burned the grass and trees at the site.
Health and police officials promptly inspected the scene and sent water samples for testing. Health worker Radhika Uttam Nargide has advised citizens not to use water from the Kondhapuri reservoir for agriculture, livestock, or drinking purposes for the next few days.
To mitigate the impact of the acid dump, all dams on the stream have been closed with barriers, and additional measures have been taken to prevent the contaminated water from entering the Kondhapuri reservoir.
The polluted water and soil will be transported to the MEPAL company for disposal, stated Tehsildar Balasaheb Mhaske.
The strong odor from the acid prompted Tehsildar Balasaheb Mhaske and other officials to inspect the site and implement necessary actions. The water at the dump site is contaminated, and the surrounding vegetation has been burned.
Shirur Tehsildar Balasaheb Mhaske, Group Development Officer Mahesh Doke, and Mansing Pachundkar Patil conducted the inspection.
Mansing Pachundkar Patil demanded strict action against those responsible for the incident. The inspection saw the presence of several local leaders and residents, including Dattatray Kadam, Pachundkar Patil, Sarpanch Nanda Dhasal, Manikrao Bangar, Suhas Bangar, Abhijit Tambe, Ganesh Dhokle, Dattatray Lande, Dnyaneshwar Waydande, Swati Tavare, Ganesh Bhigot, Shrikant Zanje, and Shrikant Vawhal.
