Recurrent problems pertaining to pollution of stormwater drains have forced the Chennai Corporation to commission its own sewage treatment plants. The proposed treatment plants will be commissioned in parks maintained by the civic body.
“The facility will treat one lakh litres of sewage. The treated water will be used for watering the plants on the same premises,” said an official of Chennai Corporation.
A number of households and commercial establishments have been illegally letting waste water into stormwater drains, leading to pollution in the Cooum, Adyar and Buckingham Canal. “Most of the stormwater drains are filled with sewage. Households are also polluting the waterways. A network of treatment plants to prevent entry of sewage through stormwater drains into Cooum, Adyar and Buckingham Canal will offer a solution,” said an official.
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The success of the project is expected to prevent sewage from entering the major waterways.
The commissioning of such treatment plants in more localities across the city is also crucial for the success of the Rs.10,000-crore project to clean the Cooum.
Last year, the Chennai Corporation commenced plugging of illegal sewer connections of commercial buildings that were identified in the city. Officials of the Corporation’s revenue department, health department, and the junior engineers of 200 wards were unable to locate all the illegal sewer inlets into stormwater drains.
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The civic body will use Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) technology to improve reliability, simplify the operation and reduce space requirements.
The proposal for traditional wastewater treatment systems were rejected for want of space. The civic body has floated bids for commissioning a municipal waste water treatment plant in a park on Greams Road.