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Do
you know that Srinagar city with a population of 1.1 million souls generating
around 161 million gallon daily (MLD) sewage has just one treatment plant of
17 MLD capacity (presently defunct)?
Experts say the sole sewage treatment plant (STP) at Brari Nambal treats only
the quantity of sewage that is generated by one lakh odd people in the city.
"There is no infrastructure or the alternative to treat the rest sewage
generated by 10 lakh people" experts say.
Official authorities confirm that only a small portion of the sewage in the
city is transported for its treatment to STP at Brari Nambal. "Significantly,
the rest–which is the major part of the sewage—directly empties into rivers
and other water bodies without treatment," sources say.
Surprisingly, there are no separate drainage and sewerage networks in the
city. The muck and profuse in the surface sewers find its outlet directly into
drains thereby making it essential to treat all.
"Using the drains that are essentially meant for rainwater and other
precipitation, for carrying human waste also results in increasing the
quantity of the sewage, something that is against the engineering norms,"
experts say, adding that if there are separate drains they can be directly
emptied into rivers.
"It is only the sewage that requires treatment. But when it is allowed to mix
with the rainwater in the drains, you have to treat all," they say.
Although the authorities claim that Srinagar city has 60-70 percent sewerage
network plus 55 km drainage length, experts say most of the sewerage-drainage
networks are non-functional.
"Either the problem is with their design or they do not have the capacity to
respond to the overwhelming inflow of sewage that is generated in the city.
Most of the drains remain blocked and when there are slight showers the
low-lying areas in the city get submerged," experts say.
Surprisingly not a single survey has ever been conducted so far by any state
engineering department or any other agency to find out the proportion of
households in the city using flush toilets (water closets), pit latrines
(septic) and other toilet system. A large portion of the waste coming out of
the houses on the banks of river Jhelum directly goes into the river.
The government does not have any idea about what proportion of city population
lives in slums or unauthorized areas. However, some unofficial estimates say
that the Srinagar city comprises of more than 30 percent slum and unauthorized
areas.
"It is surprising that the government which flaunts about bringing Srinagar on
the global tourism map has no data available with it that could say how much
portion of the population lives in slums in Srinagar," says Bilal Ahmad
Pandow, a Research Officer with Delhi-based NGO, Centre for Science &
Environment, (CSE).
Bilal who recently conducted a survey says that given the haphazard
development of many new colonies in the low lying areas, the city is bound to
face many more problems on account of sewerage and drainage in the coming
days.
Experts say if the immediate steps are not taken by the government to bring in
scientific sewerage system in the state, problems would manifold in the coming
days.
Chief Town Planner, Mir Naseem Ahmad says that with the growth in the
population, more sewage would be generated that in turn would cause further
problem. He says that government should go by the Master Plan and take
immediate steps to curb the rot.
"Putting the annual growth at 3 percent Srinagar city will have a total
population of 19 lakh souls including one lakh armed personnel and floating
population in 2011. So there is a dire need for raising of STPs and laying of
sewers and drains across the city. Should the government fail to do so you
will find whole Srinagar city turning into a large slum," said Bilal.
Chief Engineer, UEED says to treat all the sewage generated in the city
presently the department needs STPs of 242 MGD capacity. The state has planned
to bring four STPs at Noorbagh, Alochi Bagh, Pampore, he says.
But the question remains where the money will come from?
CE says the government had moved a proposal to the Asian Development Bank for
Rs 1741 crore project on drainage and sewerage. "But the ADB has agreed to
fund only the project on drainage part to the tune of Rs 385 crore at the
first stage," he said.
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