Pune: Two departments at the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) are are passing the buck to each other where removal of water hyacinth from Mula-Mutha river, Katraj and Pashan lakes is concerned. The officials at the PMC Health Department say they are unable to carry out the task due to existing workload and claimed that removal of hyacinth is the Garden Department’s work.
The Health Department officials have informed the Municipal Commissioner regarding the same. However, the Garden Department says it is actually the Health Department’s task as there is financial provision in the Health Department’s budget.
Hyacinth is a major problem in water bodies such as Mula-Mutha river, Katraj and Pashan lakes every year. The Health Department removes the hyacinth every year. The PMC makes budgetary provision to the Health Department for removal of hyacinth.
This year, the Health Department wrote a letter to Municipal Commissioner Saurabh Rao saying, “Due to workload, the Health Department is facing a problem in clearing hyacinth from water bodies.”
Speaking to Sakal Times, Dr Ramchandra Hankare, Chief Medical Officer of the PMC Health Department said, “Our department has undertaken work to remove hyacinth manually. But it is difficult to do so.
So, we wrote to the municipal commissioner to hand over the work to another department, which can remove hycinth with the help of machinery. We are ready to provide money for the work. The Garden Department should also remove water hyacinth from the lake which has part of garden.”
Ashok Ghorpade, Chief of Garden Department said, “It is the work of the Health Department. In the annual budget, the Health Department has provision of Rs 80 lakh for removal of hyacinth. It has nothing to do with the Garden Department.”
