The plant has been closed for four years due to the negligence of local authorities
Islamabad’s lone sewage treatment plant (STP) will be brought back to life for horticulture purposes after its shutdown four years back due to CDA’s negligence. The plant, which cost Rs2.72 billion, has been partially restored.
Chairman of the authority said that currently it is able to treat seven million gallons per day and efforts are underway to restore its full capacity.
“This plant has the capacity to treat 14 million gallons per day (mgd). However, at the moment, it has been made functional to treat 7mgd. We will ensure its maximum utilisation,” the CDA chairman said.
Director Sanitation Sardar Khan Zimri said Rs200 million had been released for improving the network of trunk lines for the smooth flow of sewage to the STP.
“We have already called tenders for improving the sewerage network. Once the broken lines are repaired, we will receive almost 10-12mgd of sewage for treatment,” Zimri said.
One of the employees of the authority said almost all 20 nullahs of the capital were polluted and required to be cleaned immediately.
“I would say the entire treated sewage/water from the plant should be utilised for horticulture purpose by the environment wing and not discharged into the filthy nullah,” an official of the wing said.
Such projects can help clean up the federal capital and make it further green at the same time. It is also important that such expensive infrastructure is utilized and does not go to waste. The plant could have helped the city in a big way during the last four years had it not been for the negligence of the local authorities.