BHUBANESWAR: The state government has set a two-year deadline for establishing the treatment plant at the confluence point of Daya river and Gangua Nullah to prevent release of polluted water to the river system.
Sources in the Housing and Urban Development (H&UD) department said a tender for construction of the treatment plant at the confluence point of Daya and Gangua has been floated on September 9 with the target for completion of the work set to two years.
Keeping in view the increased level of pollution in Gangua Nullah, the state government had decided to set up a treatment plant at the confluence point in 2023. However, the project had remained stalled owing to delay in preparation of the detailed project report (DPR).
After formation of the Gangua Coordination Committee to implement the rejuvenation plan in January this year, the state government asked WATCO to ready the DPR at the earliest. The sewerage treatment plant is to be executed at an investment of around Rs 210 crore, sources said. Apart from the treatment plant, the department has also now proposed construction of interception and diversion (I&D) structures at the confluence points of all 11 natural drains with Gangua Nullah. The move is expected to prevent release of sewerage to Daya river from Gangua.
Sources said the state government has also started testing water from Daya every month. The Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) is carrying out the test to gauge the pollution level. The pollution in Gangua Nullah and Daya river have posed a major risk to the people residing along them.