After Kurkumbh, MPCB issues notice to Ranjangaon MIDC over water pollution

On Tuesday, October 22 – nearly a month after the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) issued notice to the Kurkumbh Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) over water pollution in the Kurkumbh area – the pollution watchdog issued notice to the Ranjangaon MIDC for similar reasons.
The notice – issued by J S Salunkhe, regional officer, MPCB, under section 33A of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974 and section 31A of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1981 – is addressed to the executive engineer, Ranjangaon MIDC. The board had earlier granted consent to the MIDC which is valid up to December 2026. However, it received several complaints about water pollution and serious violation of environmental norms following which, a board official visited the MIDC CETP (common effluent treatment plant) in September this year.
According to the notice, the MPCB official during the visit found that the aerators of equalisation tanks, sludge pumps of oil separator, clarifier and online display board were not in operation. Furthermore, the MIDC had not completed upgradation of the CETP. Moreover, the joint vigilance samples (JVS) analysis highlighted that the treated effluent exceeded the permitted limit.
Salunkhe said, “The board official observed that the MIDC had failed to comply with the MPCB’s consent norms and was causing pollution of the surrounding environment. Hence, direction was issued to the Ranjangaon MIDC. They have been asked to submit a response within seven days of issuance of this notice on why the MPCB should not initiate legal action against the CETP.”
Ranjangaon, located near Pune city, has emerged as a key player in the region’s economic development with a wide range of industries and sectors operating in the area namely automotive, manufacturing, engineering and technology. Although the MIDC is providing several economic benefits to the region, it is also said to be adversely affecting the environment. The MPCB has been receiving several complaints from residents for the last two years about water pollution in the area. The Ranjangaon CETP is a government-facilitated CETP in the Ranjangaon MIDC designed to treat wastewater from multiple industries in the said area, and is managed by the MIDC.
When contacted, neither the executive engineer nor public relations officer of Ranjangaon MIDC were available for comment.