The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has finally secured a critical environmental clearance (EC) for its Rs 1,500-crore Pavana River Rejuvenation Project. 

The project aims to restore the 24-km-long Pavana river, which flows through the heart of Pimpri-Chinchwad, and has suffered severe degradation. Officials say the rejuvenation plan will address pollution control, flood management, ecological restoration, and improved public access.

Sanjay Kulkarni, Joint City Engineer in PCMC’s environment department, confirmed, “We recently received environmental clearance from the environment clearance committee of the state. The proposal was submitted six years back. The committee had sought revision at least four times. There are at least three committees which clear the proposal. We carried them out and re-submitted the proposal.”He further said, “The committee does not look into the cost of the project. We have drawn up a rejuvenation plan costing up to Rs 1,500 crore.”.