Treated wastewater supply network to be ready in Chandigarh by June-end

The UT Administration is likely to complete the tertiary treated (TT) water distribution network by June 30.

According to a compliance report submitted before the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the UT Administration has stated that distribution lines of 165 km were being laid across the city, including Industrial Areas, so that TT water could be used to the maximum possible extent. The TT water distribution network was being expanded to cover additional parks, gardens and green belts, schools, colleges, community centres, government offices, residential properties of one kanal and above, roundabouts and road berms, claimed the UT.

“New user connections are being provided concurrently with the laying of pipelines. The work is likely to be completed by June 30. After the completion of work, nearly 90 million litres a day of tertiary treated water will be utilised in the city,” stated the Administration.

The report was submitted by UT Chief Secretary H Rajesh Prasad in the matter of compliance of the Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026, and other environmental issues.

The compliance report further stated that all wastewater was being treated at sewage treatment plants (STPs), except for nearly 1-2 MLD generated from Faidan village, which was situated on the boundary of Chandigarh and Punjab. To address this problem, two modular STPs of 750 KLD capacity each were proposed. One of the STPs was currently operational and the second will be made operational by May 30.

The Administration also claimed that points where wastewater was being discharged into choes had been intercepted with routine inspections and necessary repairs had been carried out. Till date, 17 discharge points for Sukhna Choe, 19 for N-Choe, six for Patiala Ki Rao have been identified and tapped.

On solid waste management, the Administration stated that the Municipal Corporation (MC) had intensified efforts to improve four-stream waste segregation at source through regular public education drives. Now, the quantum of mixed waste was reduced from 75 tonnes per day (TPD) to 70 TPD.

Field inspections were being conducted by senior officers of the MC to ensure effective waste segregation and collection and prevent littering. Area-wise allocation of responsibility of each officer was defined, examined and analysed for ensuring effective monitoring and accountability on the ground. To enforce compliance, penalties were being strictly applied. As many as 2,869 challans had been issued over the past three months for failure to properly segregate waste, particularly in identified hotspots like Attawa, Khajeri, Faidan, Badheri, Buterla, Palsora, Maloya, Burail and Dadumajra.

With regard to legacy waste, nearly 55,000 MT of unprocessed waste accumulated during the installation of the mixed waste processing plant and due to other technical challenges was being bio-remediated. While 48,900 MT had been processed, the remaining 6,100 MT of unprocessed waste was likely to be cleared by April this year.

Earlier, 13 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of legacy waste was successfully bio-remediated across two sites (spread over 20 acres and 8.28 acres), and land has already been reclaimed. Currently, all municipal waste was being processed on a daily basis, claimed the Administration.

Additionally, the MC has entered into an agreement with Indian Oil Corporation Limited to establish a compressed biogas plant in Chandigarh, the Administration told the tribunal.