Ghaziabad: Treated water supply project to become operational in September

The project is being executed at a cost of about ₹320 crore to supply treated STP water through pipelines to industrial units

The project to supply treated water from sewage treatment plant (STP) in Indirapuram to industrial units in Sahibabad Site IV industrial area has been delayed by about four months and officials of the Ghaziabad municipal corporation said the project is likely to become operational by September.

The project aims to supply about 40MLD of treated water daily to industrial units in Sahibabad Site IV area. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

The project is being executed at a cost of about ₹320 crore to supply treated STP water through pipelines to industrial units. The municipal corporation in April 2021 also floated bonds for the project at Bombay Stock Exchange to raise ₹150 crore, said officials.

“The project was to get operational in May but has been delayed and is likely to get operational in September. The delays have been due to restrictions under the graded response action plan (Grap) and also due to a delay in handing over 56MLD (million litres per day) capacity STP to the civic body. The project is intended to save groundwater in Sahibabad,” said Vikramaditya Malik, municipal commissioner.

The records of the UP groundwater department indicate that water level in Sahibabad has gone down from 25.19 metres below ground level (mbgl) in the post monsoon of 2017 to 33.34mbgl in the post-monsoon period of 2023.

The officials said they have signed about 400 water purchase agreements with units in Sahibababd Site IV Industrial area.

“The corporation will supply treated water to industrial units at the rate of ₹45 per kilo litre. The project will supply about 40MLD of treated water to units. We are also exploring the possibility to supply treated water to other industrial areas in Rajendra Nagar and Mohan Nagar, among others,” Malik said.

The officials said the entire treated water supply will be made through water pipeline network from Indirapuram to Sahibabad Site IV industrial area. The length of the main supply pipleline will be 11km.

Earlier in May, environmentalist Sushil Raghav had moved the Nationa Green Tribunal contending that laying of pipelines for distribution of treated water was in violation of environmental norms.

The tribunal during the first hearing on May 30 disposed of the petition while giving liberty to the applicant to approach pollution control board in case of any violation.