The sewage treatment plant (STP),coming up in Lucknow under the Gomti Action Plan (GoAP) a joint project of the Centre and the state government is set to miss the July deadline. The executing agency,UP Jal Nigam,admitted that only 60 per cent of the work has been completed and they need at least six months to complete the rest. The project unit team has asked an extension of six months for completing the STP project. I am going to give this extension, said VU Vishnoi,General Manager,Gomti Pollution Control Unit,Jal Nigam. According to the original plan,development of this plant,which has a capacity of 345 million litre daily,was to be completed by July end and was expected to start functioning from October 17. Due to waterlogging at the project site last year,work was delayed by over three months. Finding about the poor quality of the soil,extra arrangements had to be made to strengthen the foundation of the plant, said PK Assudani,project manager. According to Assudani,the project should now be completed by December or January end and it will start functioning possibly by March 2010. Assudani assumed office as the manager of the project on Thursday,replacing AK Mittal. The construction of all major parts like sludge drying beds,reactor,screen chamber and polishing chamber has already started. As many as 102 sludge drying beds have already been completed,said Mittal. The STP may generate 400 cubic metre gas per hour,which will subsequently generate 1,200-1,500 KW power per hour. The Jal Nigam will set up the power generation unit after installing the STP. The generated power will be used for running the plant, added Mittal. According to the authorities,the pumping stations at Kukrail and Hyder canal near Gomti Barrage will also be completed in the next six months. The project was started in two phases in 2003 and 2005. But due to the delay in the land acquisition,the process for setting up the pumping stations could begin only in April 2008.
