Greater Noida: Plans afoot to treat Lohia drain sewage

GREATER NOIDA: Plans to treat untreated sewage in the polluted Lohia drain aim to address environmental and health issues in the region, officials say.

GREATER NOIDA: To address persisting environmental and public health concerns posed by a 23-km Lohia drain, plans are afoot to treat the untreated sewage that also flows through this channel, the Greater Noida authority officials said on Tuesday.

The plan, officials said, outlines how the sewage treatment process would be executed in alignment with the CPCB norms, ensuring the treated water meets environmental discharge standards. (Suni Ghosh/HT Archives)

Notably, the stormwater drain that passes through several residential and industrial zones before emptying into the Hindon river, has long been a source of foul odour, vector-borne diseases, and ecological degradation in the region. Despite the authority’s 2023 announcement to rejuvenate the Lohia drain, the drain remains largely untreated and polluted.

“Lohia Drain has been a long-standing concern due to the direct discharge of untreated sewage. We are looking at sustainable and central pollution control board (CPCB)-compliant solutions to ensure the environmental and health hazards are addressed effectively,” said Greater Noda authority’s additional CEO Sunil Kumar Singh.

A detailed proposal by a private firm, which presented a blueprint for treating the sewage polluting the drain, was recently reviewed. The presentation included a comprehensive assessment of the current condition of the drain, backed by a site survey, and environmental sampling by the firm’s team, officials said.

The plan, officials said, outlines how the sewage treatment process would be executed in alignment with the CPCB norms, ensuring the treated water meets environmental discharge standards.

“The firm has been directed to submit a comprehensive and conclusive report covering the technical feasibility, environmental safeguards, and timeline for the proposed interventions,” an official aware of the development said.

Environmental activists and residents have often raised concerns about the unfiltered sewage flow into the Lohia drain, citing its role in contaminating nearby groundwater and creating unhygienic living conditions.

“Open drains of this scale contribute to the proliferation of mosquitoes, respiratory issues due to foul gases, and contamination of agricultural runoff in downstream areas. These have been long-pending projects, yet very little has been done on the ground. The concerned authorities must act immediately, and the pollution control board should conduct regular on-ground inspections. Only then can a comprehensive action plan be developed to address the persistent issues in and around this drain”, said advocate and environmentalist Akash Vashishtha.