Pune: Pavana River Foam Seen In Thergaon Amid ₹2.58 Crore Pollution Assessment Against Four Entities

Pimpri-Chinchwad: Thick foam was seen floating on the Pavana River near Thergaon on Monday night, raising fresh concerns over pollution in the water body. The foam was spotted near Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital at a time when the river is already under scrutiny in an ongoing pollution case before the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

The development came just hours after the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) submitted an assessment of more than ₹2.58 crore in environmental damage compensation against four entities over alleged pollution of the river. However, the cause of the latest foaming has not yet been established. The presence of foam alone does not prove that untreated industrial effluent was discharged into the river.

Foam appears amid ongoing pollution case

Visuals recorded on Monday night showed a thick layer of foam floating on the river near Thergaon. The latest incident comes as the Pavana pollution case continues before the NGT in Original Application No. 154/2024, filed by Pune-based activist Krunnal Narayan Gharre against the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) and other authorities.

The MPCB, in an affidavit submitted to the NGT on September 9, assessed environmental damage compensation of ₹2,58,17,500 against four entities. The assessment includes around ₹1.71 crore against Ganga Papers India Ltd, ₹62.62 lakh against Rising Propcon LLP, ₹20.75 lakh against Manegrow Agro Products Pvt Ltd and ₹3.80 lakh against Karagya Foods Pvt Ltd.

The amount is an assessment proposed by the MPCB and is not a final penalty imposed by the NGT. The tribunal has directed that the four entities be impleaded in the case and given an opportunity to present their side before any environmental damage compensation is imposed.

Cause of fresh foaming unclear

The latest foam has not been officially linked to the four entities named in the MPCB assessment. The MPCB's compensation assessment relates to alleged pollution violations examined as part of the ongoing NGT proceedings. It does not establish that the foam seen on Monday night was caused by any of these units.

The Pavana River has witnessed similar foaming incidents in the past, particularly around Thergaon.

During an earlier incident, officials had inspected the area and collected water samples. PCMC's environment department had said that detergents in the water, along with the release of a large quantity of water, could contribute to foaming. Activists, meanwhile, had raised concerns over untreated domestic wastewater entering the river.

In November 2025, another incident of thick foam near Kejubai Bund in Thergaon had prompted PCMC inspections of industrial units and MPCB water sampling.

Sewage also a major source of pollution

The pollution concerns around Pavana are not limited to industrial effluent. A joint committee report submitted to the NGT found that untreated sewage and greywater from nearly 20 villages were major contributors to pollution in the river. The report identified 15 natural drains carrying untreated wastewater into the Pavana.

The river has also been classified by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) as a Priority I polluted river stretch after high biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) levels were recorded at monitoring locations. The river has faced repeated pollution-related incidents over the years, including reports of fish deaths around Thergaon. Earlier MPCB assessments had identified untreated sewage as a possible contributor.

The pollution of the Pavana is a major concern for Pimpri-Chinchwad as the river is one of the city's main sources of drinking water. A joint committee report cited in the NGT proceedings said Pimpri-Chinchwad draws around 520 million litres of water per day (MLD) from the Pavana dam. This accounts for more than 70% of the city's daily water supply.

The fresh foam near Thergaon has therefore brought renewed attention to the condition of the river as authorities and the NGT continue to examine measures to control industrial discharge and untreated sewage entering the water body. Authorities are yet to establish the specific cause of the latest foaming.