A large number of dead fish were found floating in the Mula River near the Naidu Hospital STP plant in Pune on Sunday, raising concerns about unabated industrial pollution among locals.

Residents stated that both the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) have failed to curb pollution in the river.

Sailesh Kachi, a resident of Naik Bet area situated behind the Regional Transport Office (RTO), said, "I own a farm in Kachi Vasti area, and yesterday evening I saw thousands of dead fish floating in the Mula-Mutha river near Naidu STP outlet. Neither the state government nor the PMC is paying attention to this. Even during the monsoon, floodwater comes into our house. Before approving any plans, the authorities should check the impact the project is causing on the environment and people living nearby."

Residents speak up

Amit Raj, a volunteer for the Pune River Revival group working to save the rivers of Pune, said, "Yesterday, we were informed by the fishermen and locals residing in that area about the dead fish floating near the Naik Bet area. When we reached the spot, we could smell a strong chlorinated chemical-based smell all along the stretch. The locals told us that on some days the smell is even more dense and strong. Through RTIs, MPCB, and CPCB data, we already know that the Mula-Mutha rivers are highly polluted. Let’s not talk about how many STPs are working— even if we count all the STPs in the city, we can say that they are not enough to cater to the growing population. The untreated, intoxicated water is released into the rivers, which heavily impacts the aquatic ecosystem. We recorded a video of yesterday's incident, and the video shows dead fish. But the small dots you see in the water are a huge number of still alive fish gasping for air. They have taken out their heads to get air. We came to know from the fishermen that they would die by today."

"Also, a fisherman told us they used to sit for 3 to 4 hours to catch a few fish (and sell them later). Now, they have lost at least 10,000 fish, which is 20%. So, the pollution has not just endangered the lives of aquatic species but also the lives of people whose sole income is dependent on fishing," added Raj.

"The river is polluted due to the regular untreated, contaminated domestic and industrial water being released into it. Some concrete measures should be taken to prevent river pollution rather than just focusing on beautification," said Rupesh Ram Kesekar, a resident from Guruwar Peth.

PMC reacts

Mangesh Dighe, head of the environmental department, PMC, said, "I'm not aware of the incident of dead fish floating near the STP plant, but I will send our team to inspect and find the reason. In the past, such incidents have been reported, so we visit the site, collect water samples, and send them to the labs. We will check with the drainage department of STP and MPCB to know the cause of the death of the fish. Many times, dead fish from upstream flow down, so we don't know the exact reason. We will also ask the local community residing in that area and will contact the fish experts to know the exact reason."

The Free Press Journal tried contacting the MPCB official but did not receive any response from them.