Pune: Hundreds Of Fish Found Dead In Mula River; Pollution, Untreated Sewage Blamed (PHOTOS)

Hundreds of fish were found dead on Thursday morning in Pune's Mula River. Residents who witnessed the scene called it a grim indicator of the dangerously polluted state of the water. They immediately notified organisations like Jeevitnadi and Pune River Revival, who have long warned about the deteriorating health of the river.

"Despite repeated appeals, the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has shown no visible urgency to address the untreated sewage and industrial effluents that are choking the river’s ecosystem. Water quality remains critically poor, with dangerously low oxygen levels likely to have caused the large-scale fish kill. Despite the river having a good water level due to the rainy season and inflows from the live streams, this fish kill occurred. This underscores the dangerously high level of pollution," said Prajakta Mahajan, a volunteer at Pune River Revival.

The fish deaths were also attributed to untreated sewage and effluent discharge, along with the Naidu sewage treatment plant (STP)’s functionality, which might have released untreated sewage as well. Environmental experts have consistently recommended that any true river rejuvenation must begin with stopping pollution at its source, ensuring proper sewage treatment and protecting riparian forests. Without these steps, cosmetic beautification projects risk turning the river into a lifeless canal.

Shailaja, a volunteer for the Pune River Revival group working to save the rivers of Pune, said, "This confirms the extent of water pollution. Despite the monsoon recharging the water table and groundwater, fish have died, their deaths linked to industrial pollutants carried from upstream. Chemicals raise the water temperature and, with repeated contamination, kill aquatic life. Instead of beautification projects, we need to restore natural filtration through riverbeds of rock and soil, essential for sustaining aquatic fauna. The fish kill is a wake-up call that cannot be ignored. We urge PCMC and other authorities to halt ecologically destructive works, prioritise water quality treatment, and work towards genuine river restoration before it is too late."

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) bench in Pune last month had even issued stringent directions to multiple authorities to tackle the pollution caused by the release of sewage water in the Ramnadi, giving six months to set up proper drainage and wastewater treatment systems via sewage treatment plants.

The bench of Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh and expert member Vijay Kulkarni directed Bhugaon and Bhukum gram panchayats to create suitable drainage networks and wastewater treatment through sewage treatment facilities within six months to avoid domestic wastewater from leaking into the river. Similarly, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) had also been directed to provide suitable drainage networks for 23 newly combined villages and install STPs within the same timeframe. Despite the warnings, the pollution continues, and the aquatic species are dying.