Site for new sewage treatment plant in Thanesar identified

Kurukshetra, July 12

To stop the discharge of untreated sewage into the Sarasvati, the Public Health and Engineering Department (PHED) will build a new 8.50 MLD Sewerage Treatment Plant (STP) at a cost of Rs 30.16 crore at Kheri Markanda village in Kurukshetra. The plant will come up on a 2.5-acre plot of the gram panchayat. According to source, the PHED previously set up a 25 MLD STP on the Narkatari road to treat Thanesar’s sewage.

While the PHED has laid down sewerage for numerous localities, including Sadhu Mandi, Mohan Nagar, Hari Nagar, Kailash Nagar, Vashist Colony, Police Lines, Sundarpur, Pipli and Mini Secretariat, there is no sewage treatment plant for these areas.

Currently, sewage from these localities is treated at a 15 MLD STP, built by Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran, opposite the New Bus Stand in Kurukshetra. The STP is operating at full capacity.

According to a PHED official, the Haryana Sarasvati Heritage Development Board (HSHDB) is working to clean Thanesar’s river. Discharging untreated sewage directly into the Saraswati creates unsanitary conditions for the area’s residents and violates Haryana State Pollution Control Board and National Green Tribunal (NGT) guidelines. Pipli and Bir Pipli villages have been added to Thanesar Municipal Council’s limits, and as a result, the PHED will be required to provide sewerage in these areas. “Given the demand, and to reduce the load on the existing STP, it was decided to build a new one, for which a survey is being carried out. A site at Kheri Markanda village has been identified for the plant,” he added.

Sumit Garg, Executive Engineer, PHED, said, “The department has decided to construct a new STP. The Detailed Project Report has already received administrative approval; however, technical approval is pending at the head office. The project will help us comply with the NGT guidelines and clean the Sarasvati.”

Dhuman Singh Kirmach, Vice Chairman of HSHDB, said, “Stopping the discharge of untreated sewage into the Sarasvati was a long-pending demand. The board has made sincere efforts to ensure that only clean water is discharged into the river. To that end, regular appeals have been made, with village panchayats being asked to adopt liquid waste management. The STP of the PHED will definitely help the board keep the river clean.”