Four towns in Moga district to get sewerage, STPs to prevent groundwater contamination

Currently, untreated waste water and sewage from these towns is being discharged into 12 ponds and a drain; estimated project cost is ₹120 crore

The Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board will lay sewerage and install sewage treatment plants (STPs) in Nihal Singh Wala, Bhadni Kalan, Kot Isse Khan and Fatehgarh Panjtoor towns of the Moga district to prevent groundwater contamination due to discharge of untreated waste into water bodies.

The National Green Tribunal in 2020 had directed all civic bodies in Malwa to ensure setting up of STPs after it found groundwater in Fazilka district contaminated due to untreated water and sewage water in a drain.

The estimated project cost is ₹120 crore, officials said.

Currently, untreated waste water and sewage from these towns is being discharged into 12 ponds and a drain for lack of sewerage.

The board has prepared detailed projects reports (DPRs) of STPs and informed the state-level monitoring committee of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) about this. A meeting of the NGT committee and board officials also took place recently.

The board told the panel that sewerage and STPs were long-term measures to control pollution in these towns as part of plans to improve wastewater management mechanism in the Malwa region.

The project cost for Nihal Singh Wala, Badni Kalan, Kot Ise Khan and Fatehgarh Panjtoor is ₹49, 13 crore, ₹20.50 crore, ₹43.48 crore and ₹8 crore, respectively, as per the DPRs.

The NGT in its May 21, 2020, order had directed all civic bodies in the Malwa belt, viz. Moga, Fazilka, Ferozepur, Faridkot and Muktsar to ensure setting up of STPs and work on connecting all the drains and other sources of sewage to STPs. The order was issued after the tribunal found groundwater in Fazilka district contaminated due to accumulation of untreated water and sewage water in a pond.

There are 6 ponds in Fatehgarh Panjtoor, 1 in Kot Ise Khan, 3 in Badni Kalan and 2 in Nihal Singh Wala, municipal officials said.

Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board executive engineer Parul Goyal, said, “The project DPRs have been sent to the state government. We will start the work on setting up STPs once the funds are released.”