Pune: Finally, the PMC has undertaken a plan to conserve the historical Katraj Lake, by laying a separate sewage water carrying pipeline to prevent the flow of drainage water into Katraj Lake, which has created a serious threat to the flora and fauna of the lake. The lake is a good source of drinking water in some parts of the peth areas as well.
Drainage water generated from areas like Santosh Nagar and some parts of Katraj and Ambegaon gets mixed with the fresh water of Katraj Lake due to lack of a proper sewage water pipeline carrying the drainage water to the nearest sewage water treatment plant. Due to the release of drainage water into the lake, the surface of the lake is covered with water hyacinth and other unwanted vegetation. When contacted, Pune Municipal Commissioner Kunal Kumar said that recently, the PMC approved a project of laying a sewage water pipeline, so the work of laying the pipeline outside Katraj lake to divert the drainage water to nearest STP will be undertaken.
“We need Rs 10 crore to develop the internal sewage water pipeline in the villages surrounding the PMC limits from where the drainage water is generated and flows through nalas into the Katraj lake. Once we develop that network in these villages, there will be no chance of sewage water mixing with the Katraj lake water,” Kumar told Sakal Times.
However, the PMC has prepared a plan to rejuvenate the lake by diverting the sewage water to the other side and a proposal in this regard has been made by the civic administration. “The PMC has prepared a plan to carry out laying of sewage water pipeline and the actual work in this regard will start soon,” Minister of State for Water Resources Vijay Shivtare said.
“The area from where the sewage water is generated falls in my assembly constituency, so I will see to it that the lake will be conserved properly,” Shivtare added.