PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ New Tehri
Upon learning about the discharge of untreated sewage/contaminated water into the Ganga from the outlet of 3.5 MLD sewage treatment plant (STP) located at Tapovan, the Tehri district magistrate Nitika Khandelwal immediately ordered and obtained a report from Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan, Ganga Unit Rishikesh.
As per the report provided by the executive engineer, the biological culture of both SVR tanks of the STP had become completely inactive due to the inflow of highly chemical-laden sewer/contaminated water through the gravity pipeline in the past few days. Following this, the firm, responsible for the operation and maintenance of the STP, was instructed to reactivate the biological culture. In view of the persistent irregularities found in the operation, Rs 6.16 lakh was imposed on the firm as fine, and a six-member technical team was deployed at the STP to quickly re-develop the biological culture and streamline other processes, including aeration.
Currently, biological culture has developed in one SVR tank, while the second tank is expected to develop in the next two to three days.
Furthermore, a recommendation has been sent to the government to debar the firm from future tenders and blacklist it.
It is also learnt that the STP will be operated by another company for the next two months following which the tender process involving the responsibility for operating the plant will be handed over to a firm to be selected as per the rules.
The district magistrate Tehri has directed the sub-divisional magistrate Narendranagar Ashish Ghidiyal to ensure regular monitoring of the operation and purification process of STP so that such a situation does not recur in future.
