Power cuts amid blackouts disrupt sewage treatment in Amritsar
As night blackouts continue in Amritsar due to the ongoing tension between India and Pakistan, the power supply to the city’s three main sewage treatment plants (STPs) was also disrupted, adversely impacting the city’s sewage treatment operations on the intervening night of May 7 and 8.
The city has three sewage treatment plants (STPs) on the outskirts that include the one at Gaunsabad (95 MLD), second at Khapar Kheri (95 MLD) and the third at Chatiwind (27.5 MLD).
Taking serious note of the issue, Municipal Corporation Commissioner Gulpreeet Singh Aulakh wrote to Amritsar Deputy Commissioner and officials of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) on May 8, requesting uninterrupted power supply to STPs during blackouts.
Following the directive, on the intervening night of May 8 and 9, during the blackout that began at 9 pm, power was supplied to STPs at Khapar Kheri and Chatiwind. However, the Gaunsabad STP still faced power outage last night.
A copy of the official letter issued by the MC Commissioner was also circulated among the authorities concerned for the timely solution of the issue. Senior officials claimed that the power cut issue had been addressed and all STPs would be functional today night.
The government had spent Rs 360 crore under the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) project in 2019 on the STPs. The MC pays heavy operating costs to keep the plants functional round the clock.
