Effluent Mess: Five of 7 STPs defunct in Jalandhar
Aakanksha N Bhardwaj
Jalandhar, April 14
Approximately, 215 million litres per day (MLD) of untreated water is getting discharged into the drains in Jalandhar city.
Reason: Five of seven sewage treatment plants (STPs) are lying defunct. Four STPs at Pholariwal having a capacity of 100 MLD, 50 MLD and two each of 25 MLD were non-operational for the last seven days.
An STP of 15 MLD capacity set up at Basti Peer Daad is not operational yet. As a result, untreated water is getting discharged into the Kala Sanghian drain.
Only two STPs — Jaitewal and Bambiawal — having a capacity of 15 MLD and 10 MLD were operational.
Jalandhar Municipal Corporation officials said the main manhole from where untreated water goes into the STPs was broken and repair works were being done.
“Also, the outlet flow of 100 MLD STP at Pholariwal was stopped because a manhole is being constructed in front of the outlet of the STP,” the MC official said, adding that it may take another 10 days to complete the work.
Arun Kakkar, Senior Environmental Engineer, Punjab Pollution Control Board, said, “We will ask the MC to get the work done at the earliest.”
Around 270 MLD of water gets treated when all the STPs operate, however, not even a single drop is utilised for irrigation purpose and treated water gets discharged into the drain. As per information, projects regarding the usage of treated water for irrigation have been allotted to the MC by the Soil Conservation Department, but the work has yet not commenced on the ground.
A 100 MLD capacity STP at Pholariwal, which was set up in 2008, has been cleaned by the MC just once so far.
Apart from this, an effluent treatment plant has not been completely installed at Jamsher Dairy complex. Thus, effluents are getting discharged into the Garha drain. PPCB officials said samples of treated water taken in March met all parameters. The officials said samples were taken every month.
Residents living near the Kala Sanghian drain said untreated water was being discharged into the water body. Manjeet Singh Sohal of Athaula village said, “The Kala Sanghian drains pass through our village and untreated water is clearly visible. The authorities might be taking some steps, but contaminated water in the drains is leading to severe health issues.”
MP Balbir Singh Seechewal said it was the responsibility of the PPCB and the MC to ensure that the STPs were in running condition.
