MC Commissioner orders white paper on treated water project

Rajinder Nagarkoti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 28

MC Commissioner B Purushartha today issued directions to MC Engineering Department officials to bring white paper on tertiary-treated water project.

The directions were issued in the MC General House meeting during the discussion on the installation of irrigation pipelines in the left out area for supplying tertiary-treated water in Sectors 7, 23 and 24. In the meeting, councillors also complaint of foul smell from treated water.

Recently, Chandigarh Tribune had highlighted that there are only a few takers for the tertiary-treated water in the city. The MC has already spent more than Rs 16 crore on the project.

MC Chief Engineer NP Sharma informed the MC House that out of 7,600 one kanal houses, only 1,700 houses have applied for the connection to date.

In the coming days, they will cover those areas where lines were not installed and will encourage houses, institutions to come forward for tertiary-treated water connection, he said.

MC Commissioner B Purushartha also admitted in the MC House that the quality of water is also not good. There are three treatment plants — two at Diggian in Mohali and one at the 3 BRD. The quality of water from Diggian plant has 30 biological oxygen demand (BOD), which is not of good quality, whereas the 3 BRD plant has 10 BOD, which is of good quality. Punjab Engineering College (PEC) is conducting a study on how to bring BOD level down, the Commissioner informed the House.

He said under the Smart City project, they were upgrading sewerage treatment plants. As per new norms of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), which were issued in 2015, it had notified stringent norms for STPs so that their discharge matches global parameters on water quality. As per the new norms, the BOD level has to be reduced from 30 mg/litre to 10 mg/litre.

These three plants treat 30 MGD waste water and then release 22 MGD of it into the drain as the demand for the tertiary-treated water in the city is only 8 MGD.

As per a survey conducted by the MC Engineering Wing, 710 houses in Sector 21 require tertiary-treated water connections, 634 houses in Sector 33, 585 houses in Sector 18, 493 in Sector 11, 419 in Sector 35, 417 in Sector 36, 416 in Sector 8 and 283 in Sector 9.

What is treated water

After undergoing a chemical treatment and sedimentation process, sewage is made suitable for watering lawns and parks as well as for irrigating fields. Tertiary treatment is the final cleaning process that improves the quality of waste water before it is reused or recycled.

What the bylaws say

Under the new bylaws notified last year, the Administration had made tertiary-treated water connections mandatory for all houses/institutions having an area of 1 kanal and above within three months. In case of non-compliance, a fine will be imposed.

How to get a connection

A resident who wants to get a tertiary-treated water connection needs to apply at the office of the area sub-divisional officer of the MC’s Public Health Department. The application can be downloaded from the MC website — www.mcchandigarh.gov.in — or procured from e-Sampark centres. The charges include nearly Rs 2,000 for installing pipes and fittings, along with a monthly fee of Rs 50 for a house measuring 1 kanal and above.

MC uses it in green belts, parks

The Municipal Corporation uses tertiary-treated water for irrigation purposes in 55 green belts, 20 gardens and neighbourhood parks. At present, Sectors 1, 4, 5, 6, 9, 12, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20 and 21 have full availability of tertiary-treated water. Sectors 2, 3, 7, 10, 11, 14, 17, 23, 25, 33, 34, 37, 41 and 42 of the city are partially covered.