Jambhulwadi Lake in South Pune Continues to Suffer from Environmental Apathy

Pune, 11th March 2024: The picturesque Jambhulwadi Lake in South Pune has once again faced environmental concerns as one to one and a half tonnes of fish have succumbed to adverse conditions. This marks the third such incident in the past three years, raising alarms about the safety of the lake. The unpleasant odour stemming from the decaying fish, combined with sewage contamination, has affected the health of nearby citizens.

The fish carcasses, entangled in water leaves removed by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), have resulted in a foul smell permeating the area. Urban drainage, coupled with chemically contaminated wastewater from nearby industries and cement plants, is routinely discharged into the lake. This highlights the apathy of both the irrigation department and the PMC towards preserving the lake’s ecosystem.

Despite the recent transfer of lake maintenance responsibilities from the Irrigation Department to the PMC, the issue of polluted water persists. The water has acquired an oily texture, turned black, and emanated a foul odour. While PMC and the Irrigation Department engage in finger-pointing, the lake continues to suffer from neglect, with consecutive incidents of fish deaths in the past two years.

The PMC has entrusted a contractor with the task of clearing overgrown algae from the lake. However, concerns linger about the potential adverse effects of chemical spraying on aquatic life. Locals suspect that the fish deaths may be attributed to the contractor’s negligence during previous spraying experiments.

Additionally, the contract for removing water hyacinth is set to conclude at the end of March. Locals question the timely drying up of water leaves before the tender expiration, suspecting that chemical spraying may be responsible for their premature withering.

The PMC-contracted removal of water leaves has left piles around the pond, posing a potential hindrance to monsoon discharge when the lake reaches full capacity. Siddharam Patil, Junior Engineer in the Drainage Department, assures ongoing efforts to address the lake’s issues, citing the dumping of the main channel and tapping 90% of wastewater, with the remaining work slated for completion soon.