Upgraded sewage treatment units set to ease Faridabad civic situation

Bijendra Ahlawat

Faridabad, June 1

The commencement of the two upgraded Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) is likely to provide a relief on the crisis faced by the city regarding the disposal of untreated sewage waste. The project has become functional after a delay of around one and half years, it is reported.

“The sewage treatment capacity here, which has been between 50 and 60 million litres per day (MLD) so far, is likely to rise up to 120 MLD soon, as the new STPs located at Pratapgarh and Mirzapur villages have already begun the trial run and started treatment of the sewage with a capacity of around 70 MLD, as revealed by sources in the Municipal Corporation Faridabad (MCF). Though the total capacity of these STPs is around 180 MLD, the individual capacity of the two plants located at Pratapgarh and Mirzapur is 100 and 80 MLD, respectively. While the upgradation work of these STPs had been taken up in 2019-20 at a cost of around Rs 240 crore, these missed the deadlines of December 2022, June 2023, December 2023, and March 2024, it is claimed. A delay of several months occurred mainly due to hurdles related to the release of the power connections, according to sources.

Sewage treatment crisis in past

The unabated release of the untreated chemicals into the open or underground had also adversely affected the quality of the groundwater and led to polluted and unhygienic conditions. The available capacity was much short of the total required capacity of 350 to 400 MLD. — Narender Sirohi, Activist

The other functional STPs include two plants of the capacity of 37.5 MLD at Badshahpur and 10 MLD in Sector 21. An old STP of 45 MLD at Badshahpur, lying defunct for several years, is also proposed to be rebuilt by the MCF.

The city had faced a crisis in the matter of sewage treatment, as the functional capacity is much lower than the demand, according to sources in the State Pollution Control Board. Around 80 to 90 per cent of the untreated waste is finding its way into the canals, drains and the river for several years due to poor infrastructure and lack of curbs on improper disposal, said an official, on condition of anonymity.

“The unabated release of the untreated chemicals into the open or underground had also affected adversely the quality of the underground water and has led to polluting conditions,” said Narender Sirohi, an activist, who has lodged several complaints with the NGT and the authorities concerned in the past few years. “The available capacity was much short of the total required capacity of 350 to 400 MLD,” he said.

Birender Kardam, Chief Engineer, MCF, said as the sewage treatment capacity has gone up considerably with the start of the new STPs’, the total capacity of 180 MLD will be achieved in phases.