BHUBANESWAR: The Housing and Urban Development Department is exploring ways to reuse bio-solids generated through the treatment of sewage and faecal sludge at sewage treatment plants (STPs) and faecal sludge treatment plants (FSTPs) in cities and towns across the state.
A regional workshop on the ‘reuse of bio-solids harvested from septage and sewage’ was organised by the department in collaboration with the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), New Delhi here. Experts at the workshop said bio-solids produced by transforming sewage, faecal sludge and other such waste can be reused in various applications. They also acknowledged Odisha’s septage infrastructure as one of the best in the country.
“There are over 500 FSTPs across India, generating an estimated 250-tonne bio-solids every day. Another 1,04,210 tonne bio-solids are generated from 1,469 STPs that exist in India. Odisha leads the country with its septage treatment infrastructure, covering 115 towns,” said CSE water programme director Depinder Singh Kapur.
He said reuse and resource recovery of harvested bio-solids from FSTPs and STPs can be a rich source of fertiliser in the country. CSE experts said the move will also promote the concept of circular economy by recovering resources from waste and reducing environmental impact. H&UD secretary G Mathivathanan said at present the state has constructed 118 FSTPs and STPs across 115 ULBs.
The state-wide rollout of convergence of rural and urban sanitation is also in progress which will help in the treatment of more volume of such waste. The urban sanitation, water initiatives and other such programmes will also help find ways to address challenges in the reuse of harvested bio-solids, he said.
Mathivathanan said Odisha is known for its pioneering Faecal Sludge and Septage Management (FSSM), especially in a decentralised way involving community members. He said Odisha Urban Academy set up by the government is also working to strengthen capacity-building ecosystems in water, sanitation and inclusive urban development space.