Pune: The Water Resource Group of the World Bank Group in collaboration with Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Center for Environment Education have drafted a policy to rejuvenate and restore the nalas of the city.
Since Pune is located on the banks of Mula, Mutha and confluence of Mula-Mutha rivers, which meets the Bhima river, the network of nalas within the city are an important natural water drainage system carrying stormwater in these rivers.
The policy drafted by PMC states that based on a map developed by PMC, there are 23 nala basins in the city. Their recreational areas along the nala bank will be developed and groundwater recharge systems will be established. Restoration of nala would be important for flood mitigation.
The phase one will be to study the framework for creating the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and will have the first draft elaborating the approach, objectives, technical and financial aspects. Along with it, it will have a legislative review, public engagement and their inputs, suggestions and objections. In the second phase, work will be done on the DPR’s shortlisted sites and in the third phase, implementation and demonstration of sustainable technologies and models will be used to rejuvenate and restore the nalas.
The policy also states that the sewage generated at the household level will be monitored by installing Real Time meters. The real-time information about the BOD and COD and other parameters will be made available to the citizens by an app. Natural water treatment technologies will be implemented to treat sewage and industrial effluents at decentralised locations.
