BHUBANESWAR: Even as a sewerage network measuring about 800 km has been laid out, about 35 per cent of households have been provided with sewerage connections in the capital city. Going by sources, Watco looks to start offering individual connections in about a year’s time once it has completed key trunk lines. In the absence of sewerage connections, the civic bodies have been finding it difficult to prevent pollution of the natural stormwater channels as well as Gangua nullah which drains in Daya River.
Sources in the Watco said out of 1,17,000 households in private and non-slum areas of the city, sewerage connection has been given to just 40,000 households so far. Over 800 km of sewerage network has already been laid in the city and work is underway for around 20 km stretch of the key trunk lines. With individual sewerage lines not connected, people release dirty water onto the roads as well as natural drainage channels which adds to the woes of urban flooding as well poor sanitation.
In fact, the city has a sewerage treatment plant (STP) infrastructure in place for the next 40 years but the STPs are currently working at just 10 to 20 per cent of their capacity due to lack of adequate connection. Though the five STPs in BMC jurisdiction have a capacity of treating 184 million litres per day (MLD) of sewerage and wastewater, these facilities treat less than 40 MLD at present.
After BDA authorities emphasised measures to check pollution in stormwater channels and the Daya River, Watco submitted an estimation of around Rs 119 crore for sewerage connections to the rest 77,000 households. The water corporation has also been asked to work out a DPR to provide sewerage connections in slum areas to check water pollution and the unhygienic atmosphere in the community areas.
As per a fresh analysis of Watco, there are approximately 1.03 lakh households in 400 plus slums of the city most of which may require new sewerage connection. Sources, however, said Watco’s priority is to complete the sewerage trunk lines so that connections to households in private, non-slum and slum areas are commenced in about a year.
Both Watco and Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) will work together to provide sewerage connections in non-slum areas. The BMC has also been asked to work out details of establishments, other than households, in different wards not having sewerage connections, for necessary measures.