GBS Backlash: The ₹1,800 Cr Fight for Clean Water

In response to a Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) outbreak linked to contaminated water from the Khadakwasla dam, the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) has launched a ₹1,800-crore sewage treatment project covering all 930 villages in its jurisdiction.

The initiative aims to ensure that only treated sewage is discharged into rivers and reservoirs supplying water to Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad. According to PMRDA Commissioner Yogesh Mhase, the region has been divided into upstream and downstream zones for targeted implementation, with priority given to upstream areas—Haveli, Bhor, Mulshi, and Maval talukas—where treatment will have the most immediate impact on water quality.

Many urban areas currently lack sewage treatment infrastructure, contributing to the pollution of the Mutha River and the Khadakwasla reservoir. The National Green Tribunal has raised concerns over civic bodies’ failure to provide clean water. In response, the Central Government will fund a new treatment plant at Vadgaon Budruk, with another planned near the Khadakwasla dam.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.