Cuttack: The Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) is operating its Faecal Sludge Treatment Plant (FSTP) at Matagajapur.
While the plant plays a key role in ensuring scientific faecal sludge management and environmental protection, at the heart of this effort lies a compelling human story.
The operation and maintenance of the FSTP is being carried out by transgenders engaged under Odisha’s GARIMA scheme—individuals who once faced stigma, social exclusion and economic hardship.
Today, they are respected contributors to an essential urban service, working with confidence, professionalism and pride.
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Seven transgenders–Susri Seetal Bastia, Secretary of the Self Help Group; Tanushree Behera, President of the Self Help Group; and members Sibane, Pritam Singh, Suman, Tiki, and Ranjan Kumar Sahoo–form the backbone of the plant’s daily operations.
Together, they ensure the smooth functioning of a facility that treats faecal sludge collected from across the City, contributing directly to cleaner neighbourhoods and safer urban living.
The FSTP has a treatment capacity of 60 KLD, supported by 13 cesspool vehicles operated by trained drivers and desludgers, enabling regular and reliable desludging services for households and establishments in Cuttack.
On average, several hundred desludging trips are undertaken every month, ensuring safe and scientific treatment of faecal sludge and reducing environmental and public health risks.
