Dead fish in Pavana river spurs concern

PIMPRI CHINCHWAD: Thousands of dead fish were found floating on the surface of Pavana river in the past five days, prompting the PCMC’s environment department to draw water samples to ascertain the reason.
Pavana river originates from Western Ghats in Maval taluka. The civic body has built a bund on the river near Kejudevi temple in Thergaon. It has also developed a boat club and garden for revellers.
Jayashribai Rathod, a construction worker who washes clothes near the bund, said, “PCMC and the government need to take urgent steps to reduce the pollution in the water body to prevent such mass deaths of fish.”
Somnath Musadge, whose organisation is working for removing the water hyacinth from the river said, “The river water had turned green for the past few days showing that it was contaminated with chemicals from industries located upstream.”
Makrand Nikam, joint city engineer, PCMC, told TOI, “We have taken water samples and have sent them to the laboratory.for testing.”