At least 3,000 million litres of untreated sewage and industrial effluents flow into rivers, water bodies or percolates into the ground in Maharashtra every day, according to a central government report.
The report by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC), based on Central Pollution Control Board findings, accessed by HT, revealed the country generates 61,948 million litres of sewage a day (MLD), against a treatment capacity of 23,277 MLD.
In comparison, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) supplies 3,750 MLD water every day to Mumbai against a demand of 4,505 million litres a day.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that proper and safe sewage disposal is essential because 80% of diseases in India are caused by water-borne pathogens. In addition to health problems, inadequate sewage disposal causes severe environmental degradation.
HT had reported on August 18 that the Supreme Court (SC) rapped the state government for allowing the Ulhas and Waldhuni rivers to degrade.
Close to Rs 2,100 crore has already been released to various state governments under NRCP and the treatment capacity was increased to 2,500 MLD in mid-2017,” the official said.
The state pollution control board has already issued directions to all municipal corporations that 25% of their annual budget will be earmarked for sewage treatment facilities.
According to the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), 65% of the sewage in the state is being treated and the remaining is not being tackled and harming the environment.
MPCB said 27 municipal corporations in the state were responsible for 86% of sewage.