Sewage treatment redefined

With the state looking at a severe water crisis in the times to come owing to over-exploitation of water resources, the inauguration of Punjab’s first ultra-filtration (UF) sewage tertiary treatment plant in Mohali aims to redefine the waste treatment model in the state.

Set up at a cost of Rs 145.26 crore, the 15 MGD (million gallons per day) capacity plant is based on advanced biological nutrient removal technology along with UF treatment. It will enable the civic authorities to bring down the bio oxygen demand (BOD) level of the treated water to 5 BOD —- making it fit to be used for gardening, road washing, construction and industrial purposes.

At present, the technology and apparatus at most of the 152 sewage treatment plants being run by the Local Government Department in the civic bodies brings the BOD level to 30. But due to lack of infrastructure and absence of network of pipe lines, the treated water in a limited manner was being used for agricultural in some of the ULBs. The rest was being discharged into seasonal rivulets or drains.

Challenging task

With a population of around 1.3 crore in the 167 urban local bodies (ULBs), around 2,211 mega litres (MLD) of sewage is being generated on a daily basis. Of this, 1,991 MLD of sewage is treated at 152 sewage treatment plants (STPs). However, only 25 per cent of the treated water is being put to re-use for agricultural purposes.

Officials say since the per person per day consumption of water in the state is around 250 litres against a national yardstick of 135 litres, the amount of sewage generated too is much more.

Though a ‘State Treated Waste Water Policy’ has been notified, listing guidelines for waste water collection, treatment and reuse, optimum utilisation of treated sewage water is the real challenge.

Last year, the local government fixed a time frame — varying from six months to a year — for the urban local bodies to put in place infrastructure to supply treated water to end-users. These bodies have also been asked to implement the water metering policy in a year and undertake feasibility studies for supply of treated water to end-users.

The orders have remained on paper and full utilisation of the treated water still poses a major challenge. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has repeatedly taken the state government to task for gaps in the treatment of solid and sewage treatment in Punjab’s cities.

The timeline

AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal has announced that by December this year, the state government will ensure water supply, sewerage facility, cleanliness, roads, lights and STPs in 166 cities of the state.

As laying extra pipelines to provide treated water involves extra cost, the state would provide more funds to the civic bodies to make the treated water available to the consumers.

A ray of hope has emerged that the new technology showcased at the Mohali treatment plant would be applied in civic bodies across the state.

Punjab