The Rs 130-crore Wadi Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) and underground drainage project of the Wadi Municipal Council (WMC) is likely to start treating sewage and releasing it into Ambazari lake from August 30 onwards. The delayed project is finally in its last phase as the officials are expecting that the STP will start functioning full-fledgedly from December this year. Whereas, the discharge of sewage in Ambazari lake will be stopped by August end as the sewage treatment in the new STP will start by August 30. “Almost 60 per cent work of installation of water treatment machines has been done and the three nullahs; namely from Kachimet, Dabha and Hingna MIDC areas, are also connected with the STP.

 

The treatment of sewage coming from these three nullas will start from August end and it will be released in Ambazari lake as well,” Rucha Dabhade, Chief Officer, WMC told The Hitavada. These three nullahs are the major reason behind the spreading of Eichhornia weeds in the iconic Ambazari lake for last three years. Despite various efforts by Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) to stop the spreading of the weeds, the issue still persists. “There were some financial hurdles initially which delayed the project but now it is all cleared and the work is underway,” claimed Dabhade. WMC is laying sewer network of around 72 km in Wadi area which has a population of around 70,000. The work on more than 25 kms length of sewer line has been completed, informed Dabhade. Due to absence of sewer line, sewage from Wadi area is being released directly in Ambazari lake for many years. With passage of time, the quantity of sewage increased, and this might have caused frequent spread of the weed in Ambazari lake. The STP is being readied near a cremation ground close to Ambedkar Nagar in Wadi area. The sludge from the treated sewage would be used to manufacture fertiliser.

 

The operation and maintenance of the STP would be a good source of revenue generation for the municipal council in near future. The WMC has also chalked out a plan to cash in on the treated sewage water by supplying it to Hingna MIDC for a fee. The STP can treat 11 MLD sewage daily and release the treated water in the Ambazari lake.