Ghaziabad: After one-year trial, second Ganga water plant begins operation
Uttar Pradesh minister Mohammed Azam Khan inaugurated the new 100 cusec Ganga water treatment plant in Ghaziabad on Sunday. Officials of the UP Jal Nigam said that the plant was on a trial run for a year. The plant is to supply 80 cusecs Ganga water to Noida and 20 cusecs to Ghaziabad.
Uttar Pradesh minister Mohammed Azam Khan inaugurated the new 100 cusec Ganga water treatment plant in Ghaziabad on Sunday. Officials of the UP Jal Nigam said that the plant was on a trial run for a year. The plant is to supply 80 cusecs Ganga water to Noida and 20 cusecs to Ghaziabad.
The plant is the second in the series and had come up at Pratap Vihar at a cost of nearly ₹211 crore. Residential areas of Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar will be benefitted as there is a high level of total dissolved solids (TDS) in the groundwater and also diminishing potable water.
“The new plant gets supply from the pipelines of Upper Ganga Canal near Dasna. Earlier, the lines were proposed to be shifted for the widening of NH-24 as they were parallel to the highway. However, it was later decided that the pipelines will not be affected due to the work,” PK Asudani, managing director of UP Jal Nigam, said.
Officials said that the 100 cusecs treated at the new plant have low total dissolved solids (TDS) — nearly 100mg/litre — that is safe for drinking.
The plant is designed with a view to cater to the estimated population increase for up to 30 years. The annual maintenance charge, around ₹15 crore, will be borne by the respective agencies of the two districts in a specified ratio.
Officials said that construction of the third plant, of 50 cusec capacity, will start by March 2017. The plant will supply 37.5 cusecs to Noida and 12.5 cusecs to the upcoming area of Siddharth Vihar in Ghaziabad. Officials said that the pipelines for the third plant will be laid from Dasna to Pratap Vihar, parallel to NH-24.
“The third plant will cost nearly ₹240 crore and will be completed in three years,” he said.
The Jal Nigam has also proposed a new 50 cusec Ganga water treatment plant at Sahibabad.
“We held talks with the irrigation department but they are yet to commit to supplying water from the Upper Ganga Canal. The proposal is in early stages. Once it is cleared, the pipeline will be laid from the canal through Murad Nagar and taken towards Sahibabad,” Asudani said.