Sewage treatment fails

No sewage treatment plant constructed in four years time

HYDERABAD, OCT. 28

With the High Court ordering the destruction of pipelines that release effluents and sewage into the city’s lakes, the Sewerage Board's proposal to construct new sewage treatments plants (STPs) still remains on paper.

The board has failed to construct a single STP in four years. While the city generates 2,000 million gallons of sewage a day, the board can treat only 750 MLD of this. The rest of the dirty water is channelled to water bodies, reaches and Musi and affects more than 50 villages downstream.

The city’s lakes are dying due to this, but people living downstream of the Musi in Chotuppal, Bhongir, Hayatnagar, Ghatkesar, Bibinagar, Ramayanpet, Suryapet, Edulabad, Pochampally and scores of other villages, who once used Musi water for drinking, are living in perennial fear,” an officer said.

A senior official on condition of anonymity said that the board had concluded a study and decided to construct 33 STPs ranging from 20 to 70 million gallons a day based on the population. The board was searching for land, he said.

“We are unable to find space to construct the STPs. The full tank levels of water bodies are encroached. With the court directions, the board cannot construct the STPs within the FTL,” he said. He said that land for the STPs would be identified by November and construction may begin from January.

Admitting that the board’s failure to treat the sewage was the reason behind contaminating the water bodies, the official also blamed the HMDA and the GHMC for issuing building permissions without its knowledge.

The Board is still searching for land to construct sewage treatment plants (STPs).

The board plans to construct 33 STPs ranging from 20-70 million gallons a day based on the population.

Only 750 MLD treated of 2000 million gallons of sewage per day. Rest channelled to water bodies.

Failure of sewage treatment is one of the main causes for the death of many lakes in the city.