The Thane Municipal Corporation is thinking of purifying all water bodies — including lakes, nullahs and Thane creeks — under its jurisdiction. City activists say its a tactic to divert public attention from the desalination project of Thane creek. And also a waste of public money and time.
On July 20, officials of American bio-remediation company Oil Spill Eater international corporation (OSEIC) made a presentation to the TMC (Thane municipal corporation). It was about purifying lakes, nullahs and creeks of Thane. “OSEIC handles water purification project of the central government for Ganga river as well as of Rajghat for Varanasi,” says Sandip Malvi, public relations officer, TMC.
There are 35 lakes in Thane city and a 32 km long Thane creek. “They use the latest in bio-remediation technology and our commissioner has decided to purify the lakes and creek in Thane with this technology,” he says. After one more presentation by OSEIC, commissioner Sanjeev Jaiswal will take the decision to start this project on pilot basis in one of the lakes. He elaborates that with this technology the water in lakes will be purified. “But it cannot be made potable. It will improve oxygen level and transparency.” When we told him that the TMC has machines to purify water, he said,”yes we are using it, but OSEIC has better and different technology.”
