Revival of polluted ponds in Punjab on the cards

Faridkot, June 15

In order to revive ponds in the state (overflowing with sewage), the Bhai Ghanaiya Cancer Roko Seva Society has joined hands with CR Babu, professor emeritus, who heads Delhi University’s Centre for Environmental Management of Degraded Ecosystems.

Prof Babu has successfully used the constructed wetland system (CWS) to revive a lake at Neela Hauz Biodiversity Park in New Delhi.

“Some members of Prof Babu’s team visited Faridkot and shortlisted a pond at Daphai village to replicate the Delhi formula,” said Gurpreet Singh Chandbaja, chief, Bhai Ghanaiya Society.

Some time ago, the Delhi Development Authority had given the responsibility to restore Neela Hauz Biodiversity Park (lake spread over 10 acres) to Prof Babu. “With the help of a special kind of aquatic plant species, Prof Babu used natural processes involving wetland vegetation, soil and microbes to improve water quality,” said Chandbaja. After its success, this project was replicated in many other waterbodies, which have been converted into lakes and we want to experiment this new methodology in Punjab as well, added Chandbaja.

Water gets treated with the help of the CWS in a two-step process. In the first step, sewage gets stored in an open pond for around 24 hours for oxidation. The aerobic bacteria breaks down the organic material in the raw sewage water. The treated water then flows through a channel, which has river pebbles. These pebbles filter out organic matter from the water.

In the second stage, 20 different kinds of aquatic plants, including typha, pharagmites, alternanthera, ipomoea and solanum cleanse the water of its bio-toxins.

“At the time when the state is facing severe water crisis and problem of overflowing sewage and polluted ponds, the CWS is the need of the hour,” said Chandbaja.