Environment minister Pankaja Munde visits KMC-run STP on Thursday
Criticism of Minister Munde’s River Pollution Oversight
Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana leader Raju Shetti has publicly criticized Maharashtra’s state environment minister, Pankaja Munde, for her failure to visit the heavily polluted section of the Panchganga River during her tour of Kolhapur on Thursday. Shetti’s remarks highlight concerns over the government’s attention to environmental issues, particularly in areas facing significant pollution challenges.
First, the project cost was escalated from Rs 377 crore to Rs 638 crore without any clear explanation, and then the work has continued at a painfully slow pace,” Shetti said, alleging that the river stretch near Ichalkaranji, a major textile manufacturing hub, remained the worst affected by industrial pollution, leaving residents downstream to bear the consequences.
He said he even showed the minister photographs and videos of nullahs and streams carrying untreated industrial effluents into Panchganga. Wastewater from Kolhapur city is processed at the Kasba Bawda STP, which officials said had helped reduce pollution levels in Panchganga river along the city stretch. Polluted water has serious health implications for people who have no alternative source of drinking water,” Munde said in the meeting at district collector’s office.
“She should have seen with her own eyes what the ground reality is. I have warned that if even a single fish dies after Nov next year, I will bring the dead fish to the collector’s office. At a review meeting held at the district collector’s office, Munde directed authorities to expedite work on treatment facilities and associated infrastructure. “I instructed the authorities to speed up the treatment plant works. The laying of pipelines to divert industrial and municipal waste to these plants should be carried out simultaneously.