Thane, Apr 25 (PTI) Local BJP leaders on Saturday alleged neglect by the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) in operating a major Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) in Kopri area.
Alleging a glaring gap between the plant's capacity and its performance, they said that despite being designed to handle 120 MLD of wastewater, the plant currently receives only 58 MLD.
MLA Sanjay Kelkar and MLC Niranjan Davkhare inspected the facility situated in Kanhaiyya Nagar area, followed by a press conference.
"The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has already slapped a Rs 90 crore fine on the corporation due to the improper operation of the plant. To add to this burden, the TMC is paying an annual interest of Rs 9 crore on the loan taken for the construction of this plant, besides paying Rs 10 crore per year to the private agency for its operation and maintenance," they alleged.
Locals complained that sludge from the plant is being dumped into a nearby nullah that has been covered, posing a risk of flooding.
The Kanhaiyya Nagar STP was originally developed by the TMC to utilise advanced tertiary treatment and power-generation technologies to improve the quality of city waterways.