Asia's biggest sewage treatment plant running at 10 pc capacity.

A legal battle over payment of dues has brought Asia's largest Sewage Treatment Plant to a grinding halt with the unit now working at just 10 per cent of its 345 MLD (million litres a day) capacity.

Set up in Bharwara area on outskirts of Lucknow city, the Rs. 169-crore STP did not treat the sewage for almost one year following a dispute between the contractor firm Hydroair Tectonics (PCD) Limited, Mumbai, and UP Jal Nigam. That STP has been developed under phase-II of Gomti Action Plan for reducing pollution in Gomti river.

Lucknow district magistrate Raj Shekhar alongwith officials of Jal Nigam, municipal corporation and Irrigation Department, inspected the STP recently and found that it was being run by the contractor, as per the direction of the court, only at 10 per cent of total capacity. They also found that almost all the machines were rusting while against the required staff of 60, only four were working.

The DM said a meeting of Jal Nigam, municipal corporation and the contractor will be convened soon to discuss the issue soon. The Jal nigam has been directed to submit water quality report every day for one month to DM office to assess the functioning of STP.

Hydoair Tectonics (PCD) Limited Chairman H B Singh had recently told The Indian Express that STP was operational and treating sewage.


THE INDIAN EXPRESS