Pune: Threat of 'no water' forces PMRDA to act on defunct STP

The PMRDA building in question. Pic/By Special Arrangement

A year after it was flagged by the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA )'s defunct Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) has finally started functioning. This followed the PCMC's initiation of action to disconnect the building's water supply due to the non-functional plant.

The building is PMRDA's head office, which has been awarded a "green building" certificate. On May 8, mid-day highlighted the irony of a government building not meeting one of the most basic codes.

The PCMC had issued a formal notice to the PMRDA Commissioner, directing the immediate operationalisation of the STP at the authority's office building in Akurdi. The civic body had noted that despite repeated notices over the past year, the STP remained non-functional.

According to PCMC officials, the PMRDA building consumes nearly 50,000 litres of drinking water daily for gardening and sanitation purposes. During a site inspection conducted on August 16, 2025, officials found that the STP was not operational and treated water was not being reused. As a result, potable drinking water was being used even for non-potable purposes such as flushing and gardening.

The PCMC imposed an initial penalty of Rs 2,500 and warned that failure to comply within seven days could lead to stricter action, including disconnection of the water supply and criminal proceedings under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.

Official Speak

Speaking to Sunday mid-day, Yogesh Alhat, deputy engineer of PCMC said, "We had given Monday as the deadline for PMRDA to make the STP functional. Accordingly, the authority has now started operating its STP."

Meanwhile, PMRDA officials also confirmed that the STP at the authority's administrative building has now become operational.

In a letter sent to mid-day after the report was published, PMRDA officials stated that a 50 KLD capacity Sewage Treatment Plant has been installed on the premises of the administrative building. Since the plant was not functioning at full capacity, repair work was undertaken through the tender process.

The authority stated that the STP is based on the Soil Scape Filter (SSF) system. M/S Green Water Revolution Pvt Ltd was issued a work order for repairs on December 1, 2025. The repair work has now been completed, and trial runs are underway. Officials said the STP is expected to become fully operational at full capacity soon.

Why is STP important?

Buildings have STP plants that remove pathogens from water that are safe to be used in bathrooms, gardening and for miscellaneous use. The drinking water is treated and supplied by municipal corporations