The Thane BJP has raised serious environmental concerns, alleging that a massive volume of sludge generated from the 120 MLD capacity sewage treatment plant at Kopri is being stealthily discharged into nearby drains, causing irreversible damage to the mangroves in the area.
Site Visit Reveals Alarming Findings
The observations were made by BJP MLA Sanjay Kelkar after a site visit along with MLC Niranjan Davkhare and local corporators. Kelkar stated that the team discovered the facility was treating barely 5 MLD of its targeted volume of 120 MLD. Despite this, the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) is paying a hefty Rs 10 crore annually to the contractor for operating the facility.
Project Background and Delays
The project, located near Kanhaiya Nagar, was developed under a public-private partnership (PPP) model. Work began in 2021 and was expected to be completed within a year. However, the plant has not become fully operational to date.
Kelkar alleged, "Despite having a capacity to treat 120 MLD of wastewater, the plant is currently producing only about 5 MLD of treated water. The project was intended to scientifically process sewage and generate revenue by selling treated water, but nothing has been achieved so far. Consequently, the sludge generated from the treatment process is being dumped into nearby drains and mangrove areas, causing ecological damage. This also leads to flooding in the nearby Thanekarwadi area during monsoon."
Blaming Game Between Contractor and Corporation
The BJP legislator claimed that both the contractor and municipal administration are attempting to shift responsibility onto each other. "The project was also supposed to supply treated water for construction, gardens, MIDC areas, and industries to create revenue streams. However, that objective has failed, and the project has turned out to be a 'white elephant.' Though the corporation is not earning any revenue from it, we are paying nearly Rs 10 crore annually to the contractor," he said.
A response from municipal commissioner Saurabh Rao was awaited until the time of going to press.
