Vijayawada to revive sewage treatment plants

The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) has formulated an action plan to revive sewage treatment plants to reduce carbon emissions. This is as part of the Corporation’s efforts to achieve a better rank in the next edition of Swachh Survekshan. According to VMC officials, the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has identified 28 cities in the country under Swachh Bharat Mission. As a pilot project in the Sustainable City category, Vijayawada is among the five selected cities. Special funds will be released by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) in the respective cities. On the other hand, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the VMC to maintain a biological oxygen demand limit to 10 mg/litre or less and chemical oxygen demand limit to 50 mg/litre in the water released from the sewage treatment plant (STP). Keeping this in mind, the VMC has taken steps to modernise sewage treatment plants in eight parts of the city. The civic body officials have prepared plans to spend Rs 10 crore released by the UNIDO as the first instalment and Rs 4.93 crore from the Corporation General Fund. Steps are being taken to revive the biogas production at sewage treatment plants in Ajit Singh Nagar (20 and 40 MLD), Jakkampudi (20 MLD, Ramalingeswara Nagar (20 MLD) to reduce carbon emissions and generation of electricity.