Water from 8 artificial lakes flow into creek, pollute it

Thane: The marine biodiversity in the

Thane

creek could possibly suffer some damage as the civic administration has allegedly drained out gallons of contaminated

water

from the eight

artificial

idol immersion

ponds

in the

city

without sanitizing it.

A report of the water quality from the artifical ponds tabled by the pollution control department of the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) revealed presence of high lead content, lack of oxygen in the waters and alkalinity in the water. The testing was done after the 11 days of Ganesh celebrations at all the nine immersion sites before the huge volume of water was discharged into the creeks, said a civic official.

Activists have now raised questions over the TMC’s much hyped eco-friendly initiatives as it has apparently failed to achieve its target year after year and have suggested introducing the contaminated water to treatment plants before it is discharged into the creeks.

The contamination reports, which is in possession of TOI, revealed the level of dissolved oxygen was abysmally low at the two artificial ponds at Railadevi, one at Kharegaon and Upvan each, which could directly affect the living organisms in the waterbody where it is discharged. Meanwhile, there was high lead content at the Railadevi ponds which is mainly attributed to the metal content in the paint used to paint the idols.

“The presence of lead was largely because of the paint used to decorate the idols that must have got mixed in the water after immersion. Idols are removed from the ponds on the next day that often gives ample time for the materials to get dissolved in the water which is discharged only after the 10th day immersions,” said a civic official.

The presence of lead in water is bad as it indirectly ends up affecting humans who consume it, warned activists. "Low oxygen limits ensure that the prevailing marine life that requires the gas for survival is destroyed," said Vidyadhar Walavalkar of the Paryavaran Dakshata Manch.

Eight of the nine ponds also showed traces of chlorophyll majorly caused due to stagnation of water over the eleven days kf the festival. The water had turned alkaline at all the nine ponds which is considered normal but the levels at Rewale and Masunda had almost reached near the danger limits which could have also possibly added to the pollution levels.

Senior civic officials confirmed the presence of contamination in the water and promised to take adequate precautions next year. "We had introduced aerators in the ponds to maintain oxygen levels but will ensure more precautions and ensure the water is cleaned before discharged in the creeks,” said a civic official monitoring the quality of water bodies in the city.


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