Irrigation dept imposes fine of

The irrigation department has billed Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) for ₹111 crore as water usage charge and at the same time imposed a fine of ₹93 crore for failing to treat sewage water.
According to the irrigation department, PMC has been discharging untreated wastewater directly into the river, resulting in the action against the civic body.
The city generates 835 million litres per day (MLD) of sewage, of which only 438 MLD is treated and released back into the Mutha river by PMC.
The irrigation department has billed PMC ₹748 crore for city water usage since 2016, with an outstanding bill of ₹1,196 crore, including a penalty of ₹448 crore.
PMC has paid ₹859 crore and currently has ₹338 crore as outstanding amount along with an additional ₹478 crore pre-2014 funds.
PMC spends approximately ₹500 crore annually on sewage treatment but faces additional fines totaling ₹100 crore due to the non-utilization of purified water from the constructed jack well at Mundhwa, as per the decision of the irrigation department.
On the front of river rejuvenation, the PMC is executing the pollution abatement project of river Mula-Mutha by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), aimed at purifying 100% of the city’s wastewater at an estimated cost of ₹1,200 crore.
The project is slated for completion in 2026, after which PMC will be able to treat and release all wastewater into the river. However, the expansion of PMC urban areas is leading to new sewage challenges before the residents and the civic body.
Nandkishore Jagtap, chief, PMC water supply, said that the civic body will appeal either before Maharashtra Water Resources Regulatory Authority (MWRRA) or before high power committee of the state government seeking requisite concessions from the case.
Besides, the department is reading a proposal to be sent to the legal department (for appointment of legal counsel for appeal.
Also, the department has decided to release only ₹100 crore to the irrigation department as per the budgetary allocation available for meeting water usage expenses.