12 years on, only 1,200 households connected to sewerage in Una city

The sewerage in Una city laid at a cost of Rs 11.17 crore in 2012 has not been fully utilised as only 1,200 households are connected with it in the past 12 years. Consequently, the sewage treatment plant constructed at Rampur village has remained largely under-utilised.

The treatment plant has not produced even one day dry waste bed so far, a fact corroborated by Rajesh Sharma, Executive Engineer, Jal Shakti Division. He says that the department had allocated a budget of Rs 13.94 lakh for the construction of drying beds.

The Executive Engineer says that the area has been divided into four zones (A, B, C and D) with a separate collection network of pipes of about 35 km. The treatment plant has a capacity to treat 2.53 million litres of sewage every day. There are two aeration tanks to aid in the digestion of waste by microorganisms. From there, the waste is diverted to the third tank that further treats waste water and releases it into the Swan river system.

Little waste that reaches the plant every day is continuously disposed of after aeration into the drain outside the compound and this water flows into the Swan, which flows a few 100 metres away. With cultivated fields all around, the treatment complex is sans road access and a small iron ladder that rests on the boundary serves the purpose for the entry and exit of two workers, who run and maintain the machinery at the treatment plant.

Asked about the lack of enthusiasm among residents to connect their toilets with the sewer system rather than with personal septic tanks, the Municipal Committee Executive Officer said that whenever they received an application for a connection, it was forwarded to the Jal Shakti Department. He added that at times, there was a land ownership dispute regarding the laying of the final connection lines, but the department never referred these back to the municipal authorities.

Though the Jal Shakti Department denies there are reports that some sewer lines had been choked when debris fell into manholes a few years ago during strengthening of the highway that runs through Una city. However, the lack of coordination between the two authorities involved and poor public mobilisation has resulted in a civic utility lying grossly under-utilised for over a decade, while city residents continue to construct personal septic tanks in new houses.