Asia’s largest sewage plant starts functioning in Lucknow

All 26 drains of city have been connected to the STP and it is treating about 340 million litres of the city’s 400 million litres of sewage discharge daily. The balance 60 million litres is being treated at an old plant in Gaughat.

When the Chief Minister dedicated the STP on her birthday on January 15,only eight drains were connected with the two pumping stations of the Gaizuddin Haider Canal and Kukrail. These drains were discharging about 30 per cent of the city’s sewage into the river. Since the Gaughat STP was treating only about 15 per cent of the sewage,the remaining 55 per cent was flowing into the river without any treatment.

Over the last six months,the Jal Nigam laid sewer lines in various parts of the city and connected the remaining 18 drains with the pumping stations that feed the STP.

“All 26 drains are now connected with the pumping stations and the trial of the entire sewer network started three days back,” said AK Srivastava,Managing Director of UP Jal Nigam. He said the testing,which was running smoothly,will be over in the next few days.

Swami Nath Ram,Chief Environmental Officer of UP Pollution Control Board,said they will soon inspect the STP and collect samples of treated water for testing.

“If the STP functions properly,pollution level will certainly decline in the river. It will give a new lease of life to the Gomti and the aquatic flora and fauna,” he said.

Work on the Rs 169-crore STP project was started by the Jal Nigam in July 2008. The project had to be completed in a year,but was delayed because of changes in its location.