SEWAGE PLANT BECOMES FUNCTIONAL
After four years, the city managers on Tuesday (5.JAN.20221) restored the only sewage treatment plant (STP) of the city to put it into use for horticulture purposes.
Authorities established the plant in 2009 in I-9 at a whopping cost of Rs2.72 billion. But later the facility lost its utility due to the negligence of the Capital Development Authority (CDA).
After remaining partially functional. The authorities shut the plant down in 2016.
CDA CHAIRMAN(SEWAGE PLANT)
CDA Chairman Amer Ali Ahmed, Member Engineering Ayaz Khan and other officials visited the site and inspected the plant.
The chairman directed that trees be planted in and around the STP building.
“This plant has the capacity to treat 14 million gallons per day (mgd). However, at the moment, CDA made it functional to treat 7mgd. We will ensure its maximum utilization,” the CDA chairman said.
Mr Ahmed said we have directed the environment wing to depute tankers from next week to supply water from the plant to various horticultural points in the city. For instance, parks, playgrounds and greenbelts.
We will give special allowance to the staff deputed at the plant, as they are working to make the city clean and green, he said.
Director Sanitation Sardar Khan Zimri said we have released Rs200 million for improving the network of trunk lines for the smooth flow of sewage to the STP.
“We have already called tenders for improving the sewerage network. Once we repair the broken lines, we will receive almost 10-12mgd of sewage for treatment,” Mr Zimri said.
The director said we will construct a tank having a capacity of 20,000 gallons of water. While we have also installed cameras and heavy lights to ensure security of the STP.
He said we have also set up a latest laboratory to check the quality of treated water.
It is relevant to note that the federal auditors in their 2016-17 report pointed out that authorities are wasting millions of rupees on the STP.
CDA ON LEH NULLAH
The report had said that the CDA wasted money on treating sewage and discharging the effluent into Leh Nullah without ensuring water quality.
The main aim of the STP was to treat municipal sewage from Islamabad. Moreover, use it for horticulture purposes and discharge it into Leh Nullah to a degree where it could support aquatic flora and fauna.
Initially, the CDA got the treated water to use for watering plants and discharging it into the nullah. But, sources said releasing water into the nullah was a useless exercise and a waste of money. As the nullah was very filthy and releasing treated water into it would make no difference.
“I would say that we would utilize the entire treated sewage/water from the plant for horticulture purpose by the environment wing. Moreover, not discharge it into the filthy nullah,” an official of the wing said.
When the director sanitation was asked about the polluted nullahs, he stated that the nullahs would be cleaned through general cleanliness and by setting up wetlands.
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