GUNTUR : In a significant development for the residents of Tenali town, the much-awaited sewage treatment plant (STP) is poised for a trail run and will soon be operational. Approved under National Green Tribunal (NGT) guidelines, the project aims to provide clean water for public use, bringing relief to the community.
Farmers are particulary elated, as the initiative promises to deliver clean water for irrigation purposes.
V Ravi, a farmer in Tenali, said that the issue of sewage water from the Jamapani canal flowing into the irrigation channels and subsequently affecting agricultural fields.
The presence of pollutants in the water has adversely impacted crop quality, resulting in financial losses for farmers. Despite receiving approval several years ago, construction works were delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Local MLA Annabathuni Siva Kumar took the initiative to expedite the project’s completion by 2024 and directed the municipal officials to accelerate the construction process. Spanning 3 acres of land in Phule Colony in Tenali, the STP was constructed with a budget of Rs 30 crore.
With a capacity to purify 1 crore litres of water, it aims to address the current volume of over 30 lakh litres of sewage water generated daily, benefitting over 2.50 lakh residents for domestic use and providing irrigation water for 4,500 acres of land in nearby mandals.
Explaining the plant’s operation, Tenali municipal engineer Kiran Kumar outlined the treatment process, which involves diverting sewage water to a pump house via an inlet chamber to remove large solid waste. Subsequently, the sewage is pumped into sedimentation tanks, where gravity separates solids from the water. The purified water undergoes testing to ensure quality before being released into the irrigation canal.
The residual sludge, a by-product of the primary treatment, can be repurposed as fertiliser.
MLA Sivakumar emphasised the project’s significance for Tenali’s farmers and surrounding areas, who have eagerly awaited its completion for years.
With construction nearing completion and the impending successful trial run, the project is expected to operate at full capacity starting March.