Development body to prepare report on use of STP-treated water for horticulture in Faridabad

The Faridabad Metropolitan Development Authority (FMDA) will prepare the detailed report of the project regarding the use of the water treated in sewage treatment plant (STP) for horticulture purposes in the city’s parks and green belts. The city has over 700 parks, which need a supply of up to 50 MLD of water for plants.

The proposal for preparing the project was adopted recently in a meeting of the Urban Local Bodies (ULB), which resolved that the supply or availability of the drinking water could be increased in the urban residential areas if the watering of the plants and greenery was done from the water treated in the STPs.

For this, sources say, the ULB has directed the civic authorities to prepare a comprehensive plan involving the usage of the treated discharge of the STPs and set up more STPs at smaller levels near the parks and green belts.

The FMDA, which had taken over the task of the upkeep of major sewer lines in the city, would also be looking after water supply to the parks, said an official of the civic administration. The detailed project report (DPR), which is expected to be finalised in nearly three months, will reveal the budget required as parks had been located in all 46 civic wards.

Though around 320 parks have already been transferred to residents’ welfare associations (RWAs) of various sectors, around 400 parks are maintained by the Municipal Corporation of Faridabad (MCF). “The adequate supply of water to the parks has been an issue when the gap between demand and supply goes up in summer season and the supply to parks and green belts gets poor,” says Yogesh Dhingra, a former member of the MC.

He said proper usage of treated wastewater had been missing in the city. Private tankers are hired by both residents and the civic body to deal with the crisis of short supply of drinking water during the summer season.

While the STPs in the city have been treating around 150 MLD of untreated waste, the treated water was yet to put to use for non-drinking purposes such as gardening, construction, cleaning, fire-fighting and for industrial cooling, says Nitin Kadian, Executive Engineer, MCF.

There are claims that it can be used for human consumption after further treatment and the STP treated water is being used to fill up Badkhal Lake, which is undergoing renovation at present. The city received around 330 MLD of water against the demand of over 450 MLD.

Vishal Bansal, Chief Engineer, FMDA (sewage and water supply) said the work of preparing the DPR for the usage of STP-treated water would be taken up soon. He said it also involved setting up the micro STPs in the vicinity of parks and disposal points in residential sectors.