VIJAYAWADA: To reduce pollution levels under its ambit, Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) is exploring possibilities to renovate eight sewage treatment plants (STPs).
According to VMC officials, Vijayawada is one among the 28 cities in the country to have been selected for the Swachh Bharat Mission by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
As part of it, the city was selected as a pilot project and was one among the five cities in the country under the Sustainable City category. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has released norms asking the VMC to maintain the Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) limit in sewer water at 10 MG/litre or below, while the chemical oxygen demand limit should be below 50 MG/litre.
To renovate the STPs, around Rs 14.9 crore will be spent by the corporation. Of the total amount, Rs 10 crore will be funded by United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and the remaining will be spent by VMC from its general funds.
Disclosing the project details, VMC additional commissioner (projects) U Sarada Devi told TNIE that following the directions from the NGT, the corporation is upgrading the eight STPs across the city. As part of it, steps are being taken to restart production of biogas in 20 and 40 MLD STPs at Ajith Singh Nagar and 20 MLD STPs at Jakkampudi and Ramalingeswara Nagar.
This apart, the project will also focus on reducing the carbon wastes released from the industries and STPs, besides generating power after renovating them, she said. Elaborating, Sarada Devi said that Rs 3.48 crore will be spent for renovating the two STPs of 20 MLD at Jakkampudi, constructed in 2017, with upflow anaerobic sludge blanket technology (UASB). While Rs 3.12 crore will be spent for renovating the 20 MLD STP constructed with UASB in 2012 and 10 MLD plant constructed with extended aeration technology, constructed in 2005, at Ramalingeswara Nagar.
Around Rs 1.5 crore will be spent on renovating 10 MLD STP at Auto Nagar, constructed with EAT in 2004, and another 10 MLD plant, constructed in 2019, with moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) technology.
The 20 MLD and 40 MLD STPs, constructed in 2011 and 2017, will be renovated with Rs 3.24 crore. “The aim is to make Vijayawada livable for all sections of people. The VMC has accorded top priority in enhancing the infrastructure facilities by making use of the funds disbursed from UNIDO and the general funds of the corporation,” she said.