Thane: Trouble for Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation as sewage leaks into fresh water

THANE: After an incident of sewage water getting mixed up with drinking water supply at the Khemani nullah area, a complaint has been lodged against Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation (UMC) for criminal negligence. Environmentalist D Stalin has sent copies of the complaint letter to the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board and state environment department, among other authorities.
Talking to TOI, Stalin said, “It is beyond shocking that the Ulhasnagar civic body has put public health at risk by not doing much to stop the mixing of raw sewage water with drinking water. I have video evidence of this incident which took place on September 17. However, since the pumping station at the site is still not functioning, more sewage water could be entering the drinking water supply.”
He added that the work to block the dirty gutter water from flowing into the fresh Ulhas river water supply has also failed, resulting in contamination of drinking water.
“We are dismayed by the fact that despite the Ulhas river case being monitored by the Supreme Court, there is hardly any seriousness on the part of the polluter, be it industries or urban bodies like UMC, to stop this reckless endangering of human lives. We urge you to initiate criminal proceedings against the guilty officers. A permanent diversion must be made on a war footing to avoid any such incidents in the future,” Stalin wrote in his complaint. When TOI contacted UMC on Monday, the PRO, Yuvraj Bhadane, acknowledged that the pumping station that was diverting the sewage water was not working for the past few weeks. “The pumping station is shut since July 22, as rainwater had entered inside causing technical damage. The repairs are being made, so the pumping station is expected to start again in the next three to four days,” said Bhadane.
“But due to rains, the water overflowing into the Ulhas river is less contaminated than normal days,” he added.
Meanwhile, Stalin stated, “There cannot be any justification for this criminal lapse. After decades of pollution, we thought we had managed to somehow stem the rot at Khemani nullah. But now it is evident that the system is prone to failure and both people’s dignity and life are at risk.”
He further added that a complete ban on new constructions in Ulhasnagar area is needed to prevent this situation from getting worse.