The drainage department of the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) filed a complaint against six industrial units in Chikhali on the charge of releasing chemical effluents into the Indrayani river, by way of an illegal connection to the civic drainage system taken without permission from the municipal administration.

The complaint, filed by PCMC executive engineer Kishore Mahajan, has been registered under the relevant sections of the Maharashtra Municipal Corporations Act with the Chikhali police.

The PCMC also issued legal notices to the owners of these six companies.

Residents of Alandi recently expressed concern over the pollution of water in the Indrayani river. PCMC commissioner Shekhar Singh told TOI that the PCMC has decided to find the pollution sources within corporation limits.

Recently, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) officials collected samples from six locations in the Indrayani river and found that around 4 million litres per day (MLD) of drainage water is being released into the river from housing societies and others in Chikhali, Moshi and surrounding areas.

An officer from the Chikhali police said that Mahajan and his colleague found out about this issue on January 27, when they were looking for the source of pollution in the river. "They also found that these companies were releasing effluents without taking prior permission from PCMC," he said, adding, "The probe is on."