HMWSSB to Develop FSTPs for Scientific Removal of Waste

The Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) focuses on implementing various faecal sludge treatment plants (FSTPs) to ensure faecal sludge's scientific disposal generated in the city. Although one is scheduled for Nagaram Lake, Keesara Mandal, the other is planned for Injapur Lake, Abdullapurmet Mandal, both with a treatment capacity of 20 KLDs.

The HMWSSB has already floated tenders to implement the project, and each plant will cost over Rs 1.29 crore. The responsibility of controlling, operating and maintaining the plants will be assigned to the agencies for two years as part of the plans. The move planned after the the directions of KTR to HMWSSB for developing FSTPs to ensure scientific disposal of waste.

Septic tankers take up waste and dispose of faecal sludge in water sources or open plots without a scientific disposal mechanism with adequate ability. On the outskirts of town, this activity is widespread. As part of Swachh Telangana, a Faecal Sludge and Septage Management (FSSM) policy in urban local bodies was developed by the state government.

A senior HMWSSB official stated that local officials have been working on supporting the idea of faecal sludge co-treatment based on the programme. Therefore, a few such plants have been set up all over the city of Hyderabad.

STP's Co-Treatment of Sludge

The city currently has 18 STPs, all of which can co-treat the septum, as per municipal officials. The present STPs will be outfitted for that purpose with some additional features. The co-treatment process includes establishing a holding tank for sludge homogenization and valve operation for managed septage discharge into the usable STPs, including a stirring facility and a recirculation system.

Various technologies are involved in treating faecal sludge and HMWSSB to find the safest and most cost-effective mechanism. While attempts were made last year to set up Faecal Sludge Treatment Plants in the Public-Private Partnership model, things did not take off as officials expected. Now, HMWSSB is planning to undertake the project with its funds and entrust agencies with managing, running, and maintaining the facility.

By: Shailaja K