Nagpur: The ambitious Rs1,927-crore Nag River Pollution Abatement Project has run into yet another hurdle, this time over the acquisition of nearly six acres of land from Dr Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth (PDKV) for a proposed sewage treatment plant (STP) near Maharajbagh zoo on Amravati Road.As per senior Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) officials, PDKV has agreed in principle to part with the land but has sought exemption from property tax on its 17 properties within the city limits besides a waiver of water tax. The proposal has been submitted to the civic body’s Public Health Engineering (PHE) department as part of negotiations for the land required under the JICA-funded river rejuvenation project.Officials in NMC’s property tax department said PDKV’s request is under consideration but there is no provision under the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act or existing civic rules to grant blanket exemption from property tax to any institution. “The only possible option is a book adjustment against the compensation payable for acquisition of the land. Even that can be considered only after the land value is finalised,” a senior official said. The department has submitted its opinion on the issue to PHE department.Senior NMC officials said the town planning department has calculated the compensation amount. PDKV has demanded Rs291.33 crore. Now, the department has revised the compensation amount for acquiring the land at around Rs137.99 crore, based on the prevailing Ready Reckoner value. The estimate is subject to verification of the exact boundaries, ownership documents, 7/12 extracts and other revenue records before the final compensation is determined.The proposed STP is one of three planned under the Nag River Pollution Abatement Project. The project also envisages augmentation of treatment capacity at two existing STPs, laying of more than 530km of sewer network, interceptor sewers, pumping stations and diversion structures to prevent untreated sewage from entering Nag and Pili rivers.Of the three proposed STPs, the 35 MLD plant at Maharajbagh on PDKV land has reached the land acquisition stage. The 12 MLD STP proposed inside Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT), however, remains pending as the institute has expressed reservations over handing over its land for the project, with discussions continuing between the civic body and the institute.The 45 MLD STP proposed at Aradhana Colony, Nari, in north Nagpur is awaiting approval from the state Urban Development Department after NMC submitted a proposal for change of land reservation and obtained a no-objection certificate from Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT).The project aims to substantially improve the quality of Nag and Pili rivers by intercepting and treating sewage before it enters the water bodies. Once completed, it is expected to add about 102 MLD of sewage treatment capacity while strengthening the city’s underground sewerage network.With all three proposed STPs facing land-related issues at different stages, officials admit that timely execution of the project will largely depend on expediting approvals and land acquisition.
