Having formulated City Faecal Sludge and Septage Management Policy and bye-laws based on Central and State policies GVMC is gearing up to implement it streamlining faecal sludge management (FSM).
Faecal sludge management policy will streamline the emptying of septic tanks by vacuum truck operators and put an end to the environmentally unsafe practice of disposing sludge into storm water drains with potential to pollute groundwater.
The present situation can be gauged from the fact that against 26 % UGD coverage, 16.17 % is treated at the STPs with linkages being not complete. With underground drainage coverage not 100 %, implementation of the policy is aimed at bringing in safe faecal sludge disposal.
With the approval of the Council Resolution by the Special Officer, implementation is expected to begin in November. The policy implementation mainly depends upon creating disposal manholes linking them to STPs and registering and licensing of vacuum truck operators that are now mainly working in informal sector.
The work on creating platforms and manhole and other infrastructure is being created at three points: Hanumanthavaka, Shanti Ashram and Vimannagar. They will be linked to the STPs at Arilova, Appu Ghar and Narava.
"Though we initially thought of nine designated points for FSM disposal, based on feasibility studies for now the three points will be made operational," says Akhilesh Gowtham, Country Programme Director of Water and Sanitation Services for Urban Poor Advisory (WSUP), providing technical support to GVMC in implementation of Swachh Bharat and formulated the septage policy. USAID is providing financial support.
One more manhole for faecal sludge disposal at One Town STP and another at Old Pendurti will be created soon.
Explaining the policy at a capacity building workshop on Friday, WSUP City Project Manager Uday Singh Gautam said it envisaged imposing fine on the truck operators for not adhering to the rules.
WSUP Advisory India Managing Director Robert Martin from the UK was present at the conference.
Around 30 truck operators participated in the workshop on Friday at which formal process of registering and licensing began.
Additional Commissioner (General) G.V.V.S. Murthy and Chief Medical Officer (Health) A. Hemanth spoke on the implementation.
