THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state’s first modern sewage treatment plant at Muttathara currently treats sewage of about 44 million litres per day (MLD). The plant which became operational four years ago has a capacity to treat 107 MLD sewage. The sewage pipes have been laid in many wards, including Poojapura, Jagathy and Pangode, but the connections are yet to get activated.
“The fund has been sanctioned by Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) for the Poojapura ward. The sewage pipeline has been provided but the connection work is still pending in a few areas,” said B Vijayalekshmi, Poojappura ward councillor.
The tender has been invited to take up the connectivity work which is pending due to some issues. “The Corporation has sanctioned Rs 40 crores and various tenders have been called for taking up the work, but due to issues like road cutting, it is getting delayed. The Corporation is looking forward to take a quick action in the matter as the sewage treatment is part of the upcoming mega project of Killiyar Mission to be held in September,” said Mayor V K Prasanth.
The network expansion is being done by the Corporation as a Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) project with the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) as the implementing agency. The fund for the project is being sanctioned by AMRUT. It has currently sanctioned a budget of Rs 159 crore for the sewage network connections. The sewage network connectivity in the city has been partially or fully completed only in 42 wards of the Corporation. The wards where the network connectivity has not yet started comes under the uncovered category. “The network connectivity in other wards is slowly in progress. Due to the limited fund from the Centre, it is taking time to get implemented in the uncovered wards. At present AMRUT is focussing on the maintenance of already existing sewage networks and completion of partially completed networks,” said an official of AMRUT. The network connection is done based on the locations as the treatment process depends on gravity force. “The laying of pipes in every ward is not fully feasible as sewage pipelines without pumping stations are useless and an inconvenience to the public,” said a KWA official.
The plant had sewage coming in from only five blocks (A, B, C, D, and E) out of the 18 sewage blocks, which translates roughly into about only 40 per cent of the entire sewage load of the city. Work on extending the network is in progress, adding that the network is currently being installed in Edathara, Akkulam and Kadakampally, said the AMRUT official.The treated effluents from the plant are discharged into the Parvathy Puthanar canal, plans are to utilise the same for landscaping, gardening and other purposes.