Bhubaneswar: Good news for city dwellers, the civic authorities have decided to implement a septage management plan for the collection, transportation and treatment of sewage at five different places across the city with make-shift and portable mini Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs).
The decision was taken at a recently held meeting of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation. The civic body officials said that Sainath Fabric Care Pvt Ltd has been selected as a successful bidder through a transparent bidding process and shall have to transport the collected septage to the identified treatment facilities (to become functional within two months) as suggested by the BMC.
According to officials, the bidder has proposed to set up the make-shift portable mini STPs and make them feasible, BMC has to provide about 1,200 sq ft land at each location. The proposed locations of the mini STPs are: Jharpada, Gadakana inside the temporary transit station near Sainik School, Ghatikia and Basuaghai.
Meanwhile, the civic body will also take necessary measures to inform all commercial establishments, hospitals, hotels, and apartment complexes regarding septage management within the BMC area and also launch awareness campaigns through media for smooth management of the operation by the selected bidder.
“BMC will also write to the police for free movement of cesspool vehicles without any hindrance. The civic body shall allow putting logo of BMC along with the name of the operator on the body of the vehicles for better identification, for which formal approval of logo design has to be sought,” said a top BMC official.
According to officials, the cesspool operation should start within a time frame of sixty days. The planning for mini STPs was necessitated due to the delay in completion of underground sewerage pipeline work by the Odisha Water Supply and Sewerage Board (OWSSB). Sources told OP that the ongoing work of OWSSB might take more than seven months.
The BMC, after considering this issue at its review meeting, has decided that until the city gets such facilities of STPs under OWSSB, six new cesspool emptying vehicles with a total capacity of 3,000 KL that are available with BMC shall be handed over to Sainath Fabric Care Pvt. Ltd.
The urban local body, besides providing land for each site, would also help get power connection, the statutory permissions and clearances required for setting up of these temporary STPs from Orissa State Pollution Control Board and other agencies concerned.
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