Waste water treatment plant to come up at dhobi ghat

Startup to set up the plant at Vyalikaval at zero cost and maintain it for two years

Novel initiative: The dhobi ghat at Vyalikaval uses nearly 65,000 to 70,000 litres of water every day, which is let into drains.

The dhobi ghat at Vyalikaval, one of the oldest in the city, is set to recycle water by installing a treatment plant on its premises. Every day, around 2,000 clothes are washed at the mechanised dhobi ghat using nearly 65,000 to 70,000 litres of water, which is let into drains.

“Instead of the water just going down the drain, we thought it would be prudent to explore ways to recycle it,” said Puttarangaiah, general secretary of the Old and New Dhobi Ghat Washermen’s Association. A formal proposal is being prepared by Malleswaram MLA C.N. Ashwathnarayan.

A Bengaluru startup has offered to set up a waste water treatment plant and maintain it for two years. S.C.G. Kiruba Daniel, chief technology officer and co-founder of the startup, J.K. Nanosolutions, said they wanted to set up plants in two dhobi ghats in the city — the one near Vyalikaval and another near Deer Park in Hanumanthnagar.

The startup won the Design Impact Award by Tata Trust and Titan, and is using the grant to set up the water treatment plant, at zero cost to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).

“We will use nanotechnology to recycle the waste water,” he said, and added that the startup had also set up a bus wash water treatment plant at four depots of Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation at HSR Layout, Hebbal, Majestic, and Kathriguppe.

Mr. Puttarangaiah said the association would take over maintenance and operations of the water treatment plant after two years.

Move welcomed

Civic officials have welcomed the initiative. “The plant will help recycle at least 70% of the water consumed daily. This will ease the burden to a large extent on borewells and power consumed to draw water,” said local councillor Manjunath Raju.

BBMP’s Special Commissioner (Health and Solid Waste Management) D. Randeep concurred. “If the water treatment plant is being set up at zero cost for the BBMP and if a suitable proposal is submitted, we will explore it,” he added.