With Mission Bhagiratha — the grand scheme of supplying potable water supply to every household across the State — in various stages of construction, the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department has initiated underground sewerage projects in municipal areas to deal with the expected surge in effluents.
At least six of underground sewage projects are slated to become operational soon in Vikarabad, Karimnagar, Nalgonda, Nizamabad, Miryalaguda and Siddipet. These towns are going to have full-fledged comprehensive drainage system complete with sewage treatment plants, informed senior officials.
Works are already on a slightly partial scale in urban local bodies of Suryapet, Khammam and Nagarkurnool. Sewerage projects for all these nine municipalities were taken up at a total cost of ₹1,000 crore under various financial heads, including funds sourced from the State government, Finance Commission and the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), now defunct, they said.
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Effluents to flow
Minister for Municipal Administration & Urban Development K.T. Rama Rao has pushed for underground sewerage schemes in ULBs once it was realised that as much as 135 litres per capita per day (LPCD), could be generated as sewage once drinking water is supplied to all households. And, a proper sewerage network is absent in majority of the municipalities save for side drains and most effluents let out either into the open or into the water body nearby, they said.
While detailed project reports have been prepared for 73 old ULBs, there has been progress in the above mentioned areas only. “Tender process for Gajwel Municipality has been uploaded and once a contractor is identified, the work can start. For 10 other municipalities, tender process is in various stages of finalisation,” explained senior officials, pleading anonymity.
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What about underground sewage capacities for 63 other remaining municipalities? “We have estimated it will cost about ₹10,000 crore and we have written to the government about ways to fund them,” they added. Proposals for recycling the treated water from the STPs and underground sewerage schemes for the 68 newly formed municipalities by amalgamating nearby villages is yet to be taken up, they added.
Independent Engineer
The Municipal Adminstration & Urban Development Department has, in the meantime, invited bids for selection of an Independent Engineer (IE) for supervision and monitoring the construction of Faecal Sludge Treatment Plants (FSTPs) in 71 ULBs under Public, Private Partnership (PPP).
With Concessionnaire Agreements (CAs) signed for the seven packages into which the works have been divided, the chosen private parties will design and build the plants and the IE will be supervising the work. The process is expected to be completed this month.