Panvel: ₹11 Crore Of Kasadi River Rejuvenation Fund Remains Unutilised, Project Yet To Be Finalised

Panvel, November 13, 2026: Rs 11 crore of the Rs 17 crore earmarked for the rejuvenation of the Kasadi River remains unspent, as the project to clean up the polluted river remains stalled despite the responsibility being handed over to the Panvel Municipal Corporation (PMC) over a year ago. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) intervened, and PMC came into the picture in response, but the rejuvenation plan has yet to be finalized, with the river still being affected by pollution emanating from the Taloja industrial estate.

Leader of the Opposition in the PMC, Arvind Mhatre, has demanded that the project be entrusted to the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) instead of IIT Bombay, arguing that NEERI has more experience in river rejuvenation projects. However, IIT Bombay, as per the tribunal's directions, has been assigned the task of studying the river and preparing a rejuvenation plan, though the plan is yet to be finalized.

The Kasadi River has been plagued by pollution for years, with complaints of industrial effluent discharge, fish deaths, discolored water, and garbage accumulation. The issue resurfaced recently due to fresh complaints about substantial waste accumulation in the river. The Rs 17 crore transferred to the PMC by the Raigad district collector, Dr Kishan Jawale, following penalties imposed on Taloja industrial estate industries, CETP, and MIDC over river pollution has not been fully utilized.

While all four check dams have been constructed with Rs 6 crore allocated by the water resources department, the remaining works, including the main rejuvenation project, are progressing slowly.