Mula-Mutha river pollution abatement project delayed

The Mula-Mutha River Pollution Abatement Project, implemented by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) with funding from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has a hit a roadblock as ₹100 crore in funds allocated by the central government through the state government has been put on hold. Consequently, the project work has been delayed and contractors are awaiting payments.

The Mula-Mutha River Pollution Abatement Project worth around ₹990 crore is being implemented with funding from the JICA under the National River Conservation Scheme. The central government will provide 85% of the funds while the PMC will contribute 15%. Additionally, ₹350 crore will be spent on maintenance and repair, which will be covered by the PMC.

As part of this project, 11 new sewage treatment plants (STPs) will be built in the city, work on 10 out of which has already started. However, the project initially faced delay due to lack of funds from the central government. With the bills of contractors working on the STPs pending and the PMC struggling to buy new machines owing to lack of funds, the project work slowed down. It was only after continuous follow-up by the PMC that the central government finally approved ₹200 crore in December 2024, ₹100 crore out of which was sent to the state government in January 2025. However, the state government has not yet transferred the amount to the PMC.

Meanwhile, the PMC has also requested an additional ₹150 crore from the central government by the end of March with the central government agreeing to provide this amount.

Jagdish Khanore, project in-charge, said, “The PMC is working to get funds from the state government as soon as possible. A request for more funds has also been sent to the Centre and we expect to receive ₹150 crore by the end of March.”