I-9 sewage treatment plant malfunctions

ISLAMABAD: The federal capital's only sewage treatment plant in Sector I-9 of the federal capital is malfunctioning and polluting the environment due to lack of funds for its maintenance.

Talking to the media, Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC) Director Sanitation Sardar Khan Zimri said the sewage treatment plant had the capacity to treat 17 million gallons per day (mgd) where it was only treating 5-6 mgd at the moment.

"The main pipeline supplying sewage water treatment plant is broken and the machinery had also developed defects due to lack of maintenance as it has gone out of order for the past five years," he added. He said the past government had vowed to give Rs40 million for the maintenance of the plant which were not released and the plant's overhauling has been in limbo since then.

He said the sewage treatment plant was functional but it required urgent attention of the quarters concerned to get requisite funding for its upkeep.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 26^th, 2019.