Pune: State Orders Inquiry Into Alleged Environmental Violations In River Rejuvenation Project

Pune: The Maharashtra government has directed multiple authorities to conduct an inquiry into allegations of violations of environmental clearance conditions related to the Pune River Rejuvenation Project, following a complaint submitted by environmental activist Sarang Yadwadkar.

In an official communication issued by the state government, the Municipal Commissioner of Pune Municipal Corporation, the Chief Engineer of the Water Resources Department, Pune Region, and the Regional Officer of the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) have been asked to examine the allegations raised in the complaint dated March 6, 2026.

The government has instructed the concerned agencies to assess the nature and extent of the grievances mentioned in the complaint, undertake an inquiry and site inspections based on the objections raised, and submit a detailed report to the government at the earliest.

Significantly, the communication also states that the complainant should be informed and allowed to participate during site visits and meetings related to the inquiry process.

The directive, issued by Desk Officer Kapil Nowhere (Additional Charge), has been marked urgent, and copies have also been sent to the Regional Office (Western Central Zone) of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in Nagpur for further necessary action, as well as to the complainant.

The development comes amid growing scrutiny over the Pune River Rejuvenation Project, with environmental concerns and compliance issues increasingly drawing public attention. The government-ordered inquiry is expected to examine whether conditions attached to the project’s environmental clearance have been adhered to.

Yadwadkar claimed the project is altering the natural river system, shrinking floodplains and ignoring critical hydrological risks.

"This project was granted environmental clearance with specific conditions, and the project proponent is bound to comply with them. However, along the 44-km stretch, RCC walls are being constructed within the riverbed, and floodplains are being filled with construction debris, effectively creating reclaimed land and reducing the river’s cross-sectional area by 38.08 per cent. This is a clear violation of environmental clearance conditions and even raises serious flood safety concerns, as reducing the river’s width can increase water levels during peak flows.

More importantly, the hydraulic studies have allegedly ignored free catchment area flows and considered only dam discharge, which does not reflect the actual flood risk in the Mutha river basin. I have raised these violations with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, following which directions have been issued for an inquiry in which I have been asked to be involved,” said activist Sarang Yadwadkar.