Starting Thursday, Loyola College will not let sewage generated on its sprawling campus into the city’s sewer network, reducing pollution in the waterways.
The college has started operating a sewage treatment facility using indigenous, herbal-based technology to convert the sullage into purified water that will be reused in the campus. “The sewage treatment plant will recycle 4.5 million litres of waste water per month in the campus. In this context, two of our research institutes are organising a workshop on innovations in water resources management in educational institutions, to set the trend for other institutions,” said Fr. S. Maria Packiam of Loyola College.
Fr. Packiam said: “This is part of the Loyola Green Initiative, conforming to Pope Francis’ Encyclical Laudato Si - a worldwide wake up call to help humanity understand the destruction that man is rendering to the environment and his fellow creatures.”
“The initiative is expected to reduce the college’s dependence on fresh water by 90 per cent,” said K.P. Sunil, managing director of EcoHealth, a Chennai-based company that developed the project. “There are four simple steps and the process is achieved with herbal derivatives,” he said.
ADVERTISEMENT
Consul General of Consulate of Belgium in Chennai Bart Degroof inaugurated the facility. Kasturi and Sons Ltd chairman N. Ram delivered the keynote address at the inauguration of the workshop.