Indrayani River

The Indrayani river originates in Kurvande village near Lonavla, a hill station in the Sahyadri mountains of Maharashtra. Fed by rain, it flows east from there to meet the Bhima river, through the Hindu pilgrimage centers of Dehu and Alandi. It follows a course mostly north of the city of Pune It is revered as a holy river and is associated with such great religious figures such as Sant Tukaram and Dnyaneshwar.There is a hydroelectric dam called Valvan Dam on the Indrayani at Kamshet.Save Indrayani Action Committee (SAC)The Save Indrayani Action Committee, comprising environment groups and Varkaris, has decided to conduct a detailed study on the causes of pollution of the Indrayani river and support the local civic bodies take preventive measures with the help of the state government.They have a blog at ibks.blogspot and also formed groups on various community sites.The action committee formed groups to study the river from its origin near Lonavla, to right up to where it joins the Bhima river.The study groups of the action committee consist of experts who will document the reasons of pollution by clicking pictures, preparing short films and by collecting water samples. The study is expected to be completed by March next year. The report and the demands would then be submitted to the state government as also to government bodies, like the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board and the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation.