The Noida Authority Board has approved an action plan for the in-situ and ex-situ treatment of domestic sewage flowing from the city's drains. This project had been pending for a long time. It aims to stop the flow of untreated sewage into the Kondli irrigation canal, which flows from Delhi, and the Yamuna River.
The Authority's Water Department General Manager, RP Singh, stated that this approval was granted in compliance with directives issued by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in the Abhishek Kusum Gupta vs. State of Uttar Pradesh case. In its order dated August 3, 2022, the NGT had directed urban local bodies to ensure that untreated wastewater is not discharged into irrigation canals.
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Following this, the Noida Authority appointed the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) to assess the condition of the drains, pollution levels, and treatment measures. An MoU was signed between the Authority and NEERI on July 21, 2022. NEERI studied approximately 30 drains in the Noida Authority area, of which 24 were found to be active. The remaining drains are either dry or have no flow.
The active drains were coded from D1 to D24 and classified based on their flow and pollution levels. Under the court's directives, some drains have already been intercepted.
Drain D20 has been intercepted at the Sewage Pumping Station (SPS) in the Hosiery Complex area. Drains D6, D7, and D8 have been intercepted at the sump well in Sector-33.
According to the Board, drain D2 is currently dry, while drain D5 carries treated water from STP-54 and joins the irrigation canal in Sector-23, so no additional work is required on them. He said that the Board has approved a timeline for intercepting the other drains.
Under this plan, drains D10 and D11 will be connected to the STP (Sewage Treatment Plant) in Sector-50, and drain D18 will be connected to the SPS (Sewage Pumping Station) in Sector-106, Bhangel, to ensure sewage treatment.
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The construction of STPs for major drains with high pollution levels has also been approved. According to the Detailed Project Report (DPR) prepared by NEERI, STPs based on Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) technology will be constructed for drain D3 (Sector-22), D21 (Ghejha Road, near Biodiversity Park), and D24 (from Sector-126 towards Mayur School). These projects will cost approximately Rs 75 crore and are targeted for completion by June 2027.
Additionally, an STP based on FABAS technology has been approved for drain D22 (Sector-44, from Mahamaya Flyover towards Panchsheel). This project will cost approximately Rs 127.5 crore and is also targeted for completion by June 2027. NEERI will later submit DPRs for other major drains: D4, D9, D12, D15, D16, and D19.
Treatment work on these drains will be carried out in subsequent phases, with a deadline of December 2028. For drains D13, D14, D17, and D23, which have low to moderate pollution levels, bio-remediation and phyto-remediation techniques will be adopted.