
Authorities have introduced three technologies to prevent sewage outflow into the Ganges during the ongoing Kumbh fair | pti
PRAYAGRAJ: The government is aiming to take the success of zero sewage flow at the ongoing Kumbh with the help of low cost innovative technologies to smaller cities, as part of the programme to clean the Ganga. Besides sewage treatment plant, the government is testing efficacies of three different technologies to ensure that no sewage flows at the Kumbh.
The Namami Ganga officials claimed that the innovative technologies being used at Kumbh — Bio-remediation, Drain in-situ, and Geosynthetic — could be set up on city drains flowing into rivers, at short notices. Out of the total 82 drains in Prayagraj, the officials noted that 46 are being catered by the expanded capacities of the sewage treatment plants (STPs), while the rest are being dealt with the help of innovative technologies.
“The performance of the Geosynthetic technology is being monitored on real time basis, which uses a dewatering tube to trap everything other than water. The sewage non-water residues are collected to make compost, which is given to the farmers,” Rajnish Nehra, who is implementing the project at Kumbh to ensure that no sewage flows into the Ganga, said.
In the bio-remediation technology, the agencies are treating sewage with the help of dissolved bacteria. In the in-situ drain sewage treatment, plants and aeration methods are being deployed to ensure that the there is no sewage flow in the river.The Namami Ganga officials stated that they are putting in place infrastructure to take care of the sewage treatment of Prayagraj for the projected demands of 2030. Similar steps have been taken at Varanasi, as well, to ensure that there’s no sewage flow into the Ganga. Besides, the official said that the old drain of the city is being repaired and strengthened.
“Within the next few months, we will commission facilities, including the expansion of STPs, to ensure that there is no sewage flow in any manner into the Ganga, in Varanasi and Prayagraj, on a sustainable basis,” Rajat Gupta, a consultant of the Namami Ganga Mission, said.