Pune, 2nd March 2026: In a major step to control rising water pollution, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has decided to install sensors on sewage treatment plants (STPs) in housing societies with more than 100 flats.
The decision aims to ensure that treated wastewater meets prescribed standards before being discharged into natural water bodies.
The move comes amid growing concerns over pollution in the Mula-Mutha River, where untreated sewage has severely affected water quality. Environmental experts warn that continuous discharge of untreated wastewater is pushing the river towards an ecologically 'dead' state, threatening aquatic life and public health.
Under existing rules, housing projects with over 100 residential units must install their own STPs. However, the civic administration has found that while nearly 750 private STPs exist across Pune, there is no clear data on how many are operational and how many remain shut.
Several housing societies reportedly stop running their STPs citing high operational costs, leading to untreated sewage being released into drains and eventually into the river.
To address this issue, the PMC will now make it mandatory for all such societies to install monitoring sensors on their STPs. These sensors will track whether the plants are functioning and whether the treated water meets required quality parameters. The data will be connected to a central dashboard for real-time monitoring by civic officials.
Authorities have clarified that strict action will be taken if any violations are detected. The cost of installing the sensors will be borne by the respective housing societies.
Meanwhile, under the river improvement initiative, the civic body is also working on expanding the sewage network and setting up large-capacity STPs. Projects with a combined capacity of 396 MLD are currently under development, including works supported under the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) initiative.
Additional Municipal Commissioner Prithviraj B. P. said, “Just as sensors are installed at construction sites to monitor air pollution, similar monitoring systems will now be installed on private STPs. These sensors will be linked to a dashboard for direct supervision, and the cost will be borne by the concerned housing societies.”
