90-day deadline set for reviving sewage plant

CDA chief says treated water can be used for irrigation

ISLAMABAD:

To improve the quality of water which is dumped into the streams and reservoirs in the federal capital, the apex civic authority has set a three-month deadline to repair and revive sewage water treatment plant in the city.

Estimated budget requirements in this regard were also sought.

This was directed by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) Chairman and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Commissioner Aamer Ali Ahmed during a visit to the sewage water treatment plant (STP) in the city the other day.

The plant has been in poor condition for the past three years and finally shut down a few months ago after several sewage pumps malfunctioned of the large tanks and filters system.

During the visit, he directed to start repairs on the plant immediately - including repairs on all faulty motors and systems - while setting a three-month deadline to make the plant fully operational. A detailed report was also sought from the relevant officers.

Ahmed said that it was important that sewage water does not contaminate the natural streams and other water causeways which pass through the city.

Further, the sewage water, which has to be treated per international environmental standards, can be sued for horticultural purposes in the city, he said.

The CDA chief was told that a 378,541 litres storage tank is also under construction at the plant.

Ahmed further directed the relevant officials to immediately fix the sewerage network in the city. He warned officials that he will keep visiting the plant to personally check the situation there.

Landfill hearing on Nov 17

The Pakistan-Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) has decided to hold a public hearing on November 17 for granting approval to the CDA for the establishment of a permanent landfill in the Sangjani area.

"Our application for the public hearing has been accepted and we will soon float an advertisement in the media to invite all the stakeholders in the EPA's public hearing for submitting their comments on the construction of proposed landfill site at Sangjani," said CDA’s Sanitation Director Sardar Khan Zimri said.

He added that the sanitation department had already submitted an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report along with a feasibility study for the landfill site to the Pak-EPA.

"We have prepared our case to defend the decision regarding the development of the landfill site in Sangjani," the sanitation director maintained.

He added that the sanitation wing had hired a private consultant to prepare feasibility for the project. Per the report, land measuring 100 hectares near Sangjani had been selected for setting up the permanent landfill.

Detailing the reasons for selecting this particular piece of land, he said that the area has minimum hauling distance - the distance garbage collection trucks will have to travel to dispose of solid waste, suitable topography, distance from the route aircraft take and other socio-environmental factors. Zimri said that once Pak-EPA grants its approval for the project, the CDA will start work on the project.

 

 

 

Published in The Express Tribune, October 19^th, 2020.