Shillong, October 2: India Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday virtually presided over the inauguration of the Faecal Sludge and Septage Treatment Plant, in which Minister of Health & Family Welfare & Agriculture Dr. M. Ampareen Lyngdoh, took part in the symbolic cutting of ribbon here in Shillong on behalf of the Prime Minister.
The programme was a parallel function in the State of Meghalaya for the Swachh Bharat Diwas (Clean India Day) during which Narendra Modi dedicated a number of projects to the nation, amongst which the Faecal Sludge and Septage Management Plant at Shillong is one. The plant was set up under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT).
Speaking at the programme, Dr. M. Ampareen Lyngdohinformed that Shillong city generates about 32.37 million litres of sewage per day which include both black water that is going into the septic tanks and grey water that is discharged from the kitchen and bathrooms into the open storm water drains.
Most of the city waste water is collected and partially treated in septic tanks. When the septic tank is full, the septage and the sludge is collected by SMB’s cesspool and treated at the septage plant at Marten which has a capacity to treat 115 kiloliters of septage per day.
Health Minister also stated that the Government has taken a series of actions to rejuvenate these rivers in the spirit of the Swachh Bharat Mission which was launched on the 2nd October 2014 by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India. The birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi is being celebrated all over the country as “Swachh Bharat Divas” or “Clean India Day” as a tribute to the Father of the Nation who inspired all Indians the virtue of cleanliness and sanitation.
This Faecal Sludge and Septage Treatment Plant taken up under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) at a cost of 52.08 crores (inclusive of four onsite STP for the outfalls of Wahumkhrah and Umshyrpi)”. The plant is designed to treat faecal sludge and septage, which includes untreated and partially treated sewage, solid, liquid, and sludge from on-site sanitation systems, she stated. ‘This plant will cover 1 lakh household waste in the city’, Lyngdoh added.
She also informed that the Government is also in the process of setting up decentralised Sewage Treatment Plants at locations which are inaccessible by Cesspool. Around 24 (twenty-four) cesspool tankers have also been procured under this project for timely collection of septage to ensure that the septic tanks shall not overflow.
The Minister also appreciated the efforts of communities and traditional institutions in taking the lead in waste management and stressed that it is only collective efforts that yield proper results. She highlighted the need for cesspool vehicles of different sizes and proper connections to be able to access all households.
Director of Urban Affairs Isawanda Laloo highlighted that the Government is celebrating a major milestone in our journey towards a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable city. Together, we can achieve a Swachh Bharat, a clean India, where every citizen has access to sanitation and hygiene. She added, “We are proud to have made significant strides in waste management, with 171 metric tons of solid waste handled daily.”
Our goal is to ensure that every drop of water is treated and reused, preserving our precious resources. We honour the hardworking municipal workers and sanitation staff who keep our city clean and healthy. Let us continue to work together, as a community, to protect our environment for future generations, Laloo added.
Notably, the plant shall serve the Shillong Urban Agglomeration areas and has a designed capacity to treat 350 kilolitres of septage/waste water per day. The treated water can be discharged into the environment or it may be recycled within the plant.
During this occasion, 18 Safai Mitras or workers of the SMB were felicitated by the National Insurance Company Ltd (a Government of India undertaking) through a Janata Personal Accident Policy worth about Rs. 2 lakh each.
Dignitaries present at the event P. K. Boro CEO SMB and Secretary Meghalaya Urban Development Authority, Biangmon Lato, Joint Director, Urban Affairs Department, other officials of Urban Affairs, Shillong Municipal Board and the Rangbah Shnong of Laitumkhrah.
