After working on the canal beautification project, the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) is now laying emphasis on checking pollution in the three canals by taking up various measures including construction of three more Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) at various localities.
At present, there are four STP’s – Ajit Singh Nagar, Auto Nagar (old) and two at Ramalingeswara Nagar – with an installed capacity of 80 MLD (million litres a day).
The authorities are now working on constructing three more STPs under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) at Ajit Singh Nagar and two plants at Jakkampudi with an installed capacity of 60 MLD.
Foundation laid
Foundation was laid recently for an STP at Autonagar, and the VMC is spending nearly Rs. 8 crore on the project.
According to the 2011 census, the population of the city is 10.48 lakh, and it is expected to touch 12.39 lakh by 2021.
Everyday, 150 MLD of water is supplied to the city, and according to rules, about 126 MLD sewage should be treated but the existing four STPs treat about 80 MLD and there is a requirement for constructing another 70 MLD STPs, explains a senior official of the corporation.
“Constructing STPs will not only help in curbing pollution in the canals but also aid in the beautification project as well. The three STPs will be constructed at a cost of more than Rs. 45 crore and efforts are being made to launch them by March,” he adds.
However, there are apprehensions among residents and others over the benefits of constructing STP’s as the treated sewage is disposed into drains.
The under-construction STP at Autonagar gets sewage from Gunadala, Veterinary Colony, CTO Colony, NTR Nagar and parts of Autonagar and the treated sewage is disposed into Guntu Tippa drain.
Different options
Even Vijayawada MP Kesineni Srinivas, who addressed during the STP foundation ceremony at Autonagar, wanted authorities to try different options than constructing more STPs to avoid disposing treated sewage into other drains.
