Sewage stench at Adampool expected to become tolerable after 5 months

DEPTT TO INSTAL MAXIMISER TO TREAT SEWAGE MORE EFFICIENTLY
GANGTOK, 21 Mar: People residing in and around the Adampool Sewage Plant will have to wait another 4 to 5 months to stop suffering the excruciatingly disgusting stench released from the plant maintained there by the Sewage Division of the Water Security and PHE Department.
At present, the stink rises from the plant and pollutes the entire area, providing residents there with reason to consider moving away for good. Not only the residents, even passers by, especially tourists on their way to Rumtek and Lingdum Monasteries, suffer the onslaught on the senses at this location and can be seen covering their noses on this section.

Explaining the Department’s response to the long-standing complaint, DK Rai, Assistant Engineer [Sewage], informed NOW! that the condition has worsened over the past few months due to rise in the number of households being serviced by this unit.
“Because of this growth, the volume of the sewage has increased,” Mr. Rai explains, adding that at present, the volume of residue, after filtration, exceeds 3 metric tonnes per day! A revolting stench is an obvious by-product.
He further explained that the quantum of stink has risen because of the Environmental Protection Act of the Ministry of Forests and Environment which restrains them from draining sewage sludge directly into the river.
“Earlier, nearly half of the sludge used to be drained directly into the river, so minimal residue was left for treatment. After the Act came into effect, we were directed to drain out only treated water into the river,” Mr. Rai said.
The result, he says, a huge dump of residue began to pile-up at the plant site, which is one of the main reasons of contributing to the stink.
When asked about the use of the residue as manure, the DE said, “This residue, at present, cannot be utilized as manure for vegetables and crops because harmful chemicals were found in them in lab tests.”
He adds, “Several tests are underway to try and convert this residue into chemical-free manure, but till then we can’t do away with this residue which continues to pile up.”
On the solution to get rid of the stink which hangs heavy in the air here, the DE informed that the Department had now decided to install the ‘Maximizer’ technology, which is expected to bring down the stink to minimal levels.
“The installation work will begin this month and the system will be functioning within 4 to 5 months,” the DE assured.
It is further informed that the Maximizer technology will function along with the Fluridized Aerobic Bio Reaction [FAB] technology, which was installed here a year ago.
On the load on the plant, the DE informed that at present, the sewage is treated with 8 MLD FAB technique plus 5 MLD capacity old treatment technology. The later one, because of its obsolete technology, is not giving satisfactory results anymore and the Department has decided to install another 4.69 MLD FAB plant, the construction of which will be completed within this year.
Besides, the Department is installing more plants in Lower Sichey along with a 1.27 MLD plant at Jalipool to cover Ranipool Bazar and its surrounding areas. A proposal has been put up with the Government for another plant at Syari.
“These plants will share the load enabling us to handle the situation better and with minimal affect on the neighbourhood,” informed another official deputed at the Adampool plant.
Meanwhile, the official has urged sewage users not to drain roof water into the sewage line, as excess water coming into the plant was making treatment even more difficult.
It needs to be mentioned here that the PHE Department is collecting around Rs. 3.70 lakhs per month from sewage billing. It has to pay Rs. 1.7 lakhs per month as electricity bill for usage in the plant site alone.

[SUBASH RAI]