Faridabad: Upgradation of 180 MLD-capacity STPs delayed, unlikely to be operational this year

Bijendra Ahlawat

Faridabad, November 21

Even three years after the announcement of the project, the upgradation of two main STPs of 180 MLD-capacity at Mirzapur and Pratapgarh villages are still not complete. The city is unlikely to get the facility this year and is expected to take another six months to be completed, say sources in the district administration.

Since its announcement in 2020, the STPs at Mirzapur and Pratapgarh villages have been under the reconstruction project. At present, more than 300 MLD of untreated sewage is released in the Yamuna and other drains in the city.

Though these STPs, which were to be built at a cost of Rs 240 crore, had been set up more than two decades ago under the Union Government-funded Yamuna Action Plan for treating the untreated waste received from different parts of the city, the condition of the infrastructure worsened with the passage of time due to poor upkeep.

Then the state government launched the upgradation project to increase the treatment capacity of both the STPs. However, the upgradation, which was to be over by December 2022, has been delayed, said sources in the Municipal Corporation Faridabad (MCF).

“All major STPs, which have not been operational for the past about seven years, have resulted in poor civic conditions with untreated waste accumulated in hundreds of acres in the village, where they are located,” said Dheeraj Yadav, a resident of Mirzapur. “The MCF had imposed a penalty of Rs 90 lakh on the contractor for poor maintenance of the STPs in 2021,” says Vishnu Goel, an RTI activist.

The treatment capacity of the STPs at Mirzapur and Pratapgarh, is to be raised to 80 and 100 MLD, respectively. The work order for upgradation of 45 MLD STP at Badshahpur village has been allotted to the Faridabad Metropolitan Development Authority (FMDA).

The ongoing projects are expected to raise the total treatment capacity to around 250 MLD, next year. However, the sources said, at present, the city was having a shortfall of around 300 MLD, resulting in release of untreated waste into drains and river. The present demand has risen to over 400 MLD, it is claimed.

Ombir Singh, Superintending Engineer, MCF, said the STPs at Mirzapur and Pratapgarh were expected to be operational either by December end or in the first week of January 2024 as 70 to 90 per cent of civil, mechanical and electrical work was complete.