Arif Bhai Sheikh, State Working President of Chawa Swarajya Sena has taken concrete steps for the last three years to prove the grievances of the general public and the environmental damage caused by the sloppy and irresponsible working of the Pune Municipal Corporation.
Pune (P&V News Service) : For the last 3 years, Chava Swarajya Sena State Working President Arif Bhai Sheikh has been working on the rivers polluted due to irresponsible and sloppy management of Municipal Corporations, Municipal Councils and Nagar Panchayats in Pune and all over Maharashtra. He has received approval from the Prime Minister’s Office of India for the river improvement project in Maharashtra and a letter of consent guaranteeing full cooperation and guidance. (A copy of the letter is attached to the press note.)
Arif Bhai Sheikh was speaking at a press conference organized to make the general public aware of many things, whether it is a waste of money taken from the general public in the form of Tax or an issue of water purification. Founder President of Chava Swarajya Sena (Maharashtra) Ram Ghayatidak Patil, State President Rajendra Padwal, State President (Women) Shital Hulawale were present on this occasion.
Sheikh claims that 80% of the Municipal Corporations and Municipal Councils and Nagar Panchayats in Pune and Maharashtra are guilty under the Water Pollution Act, 1974. He has demanded the Central Government (Prime Minister’s Office) to take appropriate punitive action against these municipalities.
What happened to Jayaka project which has been stalled for 6 years?
The Jayaka project is a river improvement project and an important project to control the polluted water discharged into the river. There are 9 sewage treatment plants in Pune city and 11 more treatment projects will be added to this. 800 crore grant from the Japan World Bank was sanctioned 6 years ago. Pune Municipal Corporation and the state government have to complete this project by allocating Rs. 116 crore but Pune Municipal Corporation does not have money to complete Jayaka project. Sheikh asked If there is no money to complete the Jayaka project, then how will the Rs 4223 crore project for river bank beautification be completed? Sheikh said that all this is a ploy of Pune Municipal Corporation and the ruling parties to show a dream to the people for the upcoming Pune Municipal Corporation elections of 2022.
Both Pune and Chinchwad Pimpri Municipal Corporations are guilty under the Water Pollution Act 1974 and both the Municipal Corporations have been charged with criminal offenses in the Pune District Court and both the Municipal Corporations have been fined crores of rupees by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board then how both the municipalities got the fifth rank in the country in terms of cleanliness, Sheikh questioned.
Considering the population of Pune, the municipality does not yet have the facility to treat millions of liters of sewage per day, then why it has forcibly included 34 villages in the municipal limits and announced a sewage treatment scheme and underground drainage for these villages and how was Rs 392.96 crore allocated for that? All this has been done with the election in mind.
Sena’s Legal Adviser Adv. Pravin Yasade has issued legal notices to 30 persons including Pune Municipal Corporation, officials responsible for pollution and the Minister of State. According to a letter received from the Prime Minister’s Office, Arif Sheikh said that, despite the Maharashtra State Government and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) order to take punitive action against the Municipal Corporation and concerned persons responsible for water pollution, no one is taking the issue seriously. Arif Sheikh has now decided to file a petition in the Supreme Court for the protection of health and environment of the people of Maharashtra. Abdul Wahab Mujawar of Maharashtra Muslim Vikas Parishad, who supported Chawa Swarajya Sena’s fight against Palika, Nasir Sheikh, Secretary of Crime Check Organization, Munna Sheikh, Saurabh Sagar, President of Chawa Pimpri Chinchwad city, Legal advisor Adv. Chitra Janugade, Adv. Dhanashree Borade, City President (Women) Megha Kadam, Sagar Tisge of Traders Association, Sneha Undiwale, Anju Mali, Sonaj Netke, Nikhil Jadhav, Pratik Padwal etc. were present.
