BILAL HUSSAIN
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India in its civil and commercial report highlights real doubts over the functioning of three Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) managed by Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) at a whopping cost of Rs 9.30 crore in the valley.
The STPs are designed for removing impurities present in wastewater in the form of floating material, suspended solids, biodegradable organics and pathogens. The report reveals that despite the doubts expressed by the Ministry of Urban and Poverty Alleviation, Government of India (GOI) over the effectiveness of these treatment plants in cold conditions and the sustainability of their huge maintenance cost, the construction work of the STPs was allotted in August 2004 by LAWDA to M/S Thermax at a cost of Rs 8.90 crore (Habak: Rs 2.42 crore, Laam: Rs 2.82 crore and Hazratbal: Rs 3.66 core) for completion in nine months.
However, the STP at Hazratbal, Habak and Laam were commissioned in February 2006, April 2006 and October 2006, respectively with time overruns of nine to 17 months.
The six STPs Hazratbal, Laam, Habbak, Brari Nambal, Nallah Aaamir Khan and Hotel Welcome estimated to cost Rs 21.45 crore were projected to be constructed in the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) . Out of these, three STPs Laam, Hazratbal and Habbak were taken up in the first phase at a cost of Rs 9.30 crore. The construction of two STPs (Brari Nambal and Nala Amir Khan) was under progress as of March 2011 and STP at Hotel Welcome was amalgamated with the one at Brari Nambal.
The CAG report highlights that tests of outflow of the two (Hazratbal, Habak) STPs conducted in August 2006 by LAWDA, however, showed that despite receiving treatment, the concentration of nutrients present in the wastewater had increased at the outflow stage vis-à- vis inflow stage.
Earlier the Comptroller and Auditor General of India for the year ended March 2006 has detailed that the percentage efficiencies of the STPs had ranged between 63.39 and (-) 366.3. Further, tests/monitoring (October 2008, March 2009 and January 2010) by the Authority had confirmed the increase in the nutrients at the outflow stage which was indicative of the fact that the STPs had not been functioning to the desired levels. Other parameters which define the purity of water too were inadequate and did not match the prescribed norms, report said.
The aggregate amount of Rs 11.05 crore (Habak: Rs 3.13 crore, Hazratbal: Rs 4.36 crore and Laam: Rs 3.56 crore) spent on construction of these three STPs had, thus, proved counterproductive for the health of the lake, the report laments.
The Vice Chairperson of Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) --an autonomous body under development Act, 1970 to look after, manage and conserve the water bodies and waterways of J&K-- while admitting in September 2011 that Ammonical Nitrogen and phosphorous contents had been found to be inconsistent stated that the firm had been directed to optimise the process to achieve the desired results.
“No steps had, however, been taken to arrest the problem. The Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) of LAWDA which was concerned over the functioning of the STPs, decided in June 2009 either to install de-nitrification units for the STPs or create artificial wetlands. The fact remains that the decision to install the de- nitrification plants or creation of the artificial wetlands had to be taken in view of improper functioning of the STPs not provided in the DPR,” it said.
It was also seen that the firm had also not conducted any internal assessment of the sewage characteristics to modify the design of STPs so as to ensure that the plants were able to function to the desired extent as per agreed terms. The payments made to the firm in view of the stipulation regarding payments to be made to the agency after satisfactory performance of the STPs were questionable. The reasons, though called for, were not furnished, the report said.
An on-the-spot verification of the three completed STPs showed that sewage collection chambers in all three STPs were without any covering/roof causing air pollution and foul smell. The VC in reply stated that providing of covering /roof was not provided in the contract and were not required at all. “The reply was not acceptable as during a spot visit to the area it was found that the sewage collection chambers were emitting a very foul smell,” it reads.
Keeping in view the environmental concerns of the lake, CAG suggested that a disaster management system should have been in place to overcome the problem that would arise in the event of the STPs becoming non-functional owing to power/machine failure, technical fault, etc. It was, however, seen that no planning was done by LAWDA to meet any such eventuality.
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India in its civil and commercial report highlights real doubts over the functioning of three Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) managed by Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) at a whopping cost of Rs 9.30 crore in the valley.
The STPs are designed for removing impurities present in wastewater in the form of floating material, suspended solids, biodegradable organics and pathogens. The report reveals that despite the doubts expressed by the Ministry of Urban and Poverty Alleviation, Government of India (GOI) over the effectiveness of these treatment plants in cold conditions and the sustainability of their huge maintenance cost, the construction work of the STPs was allotted in August 2004 by LAWDA to M/S Thermax at a cost of Rs 8.90 crore (Habak: Rs 2.42 crore, Laam: Rs 2.82 crore and Hazratbal: Rs 3.66 core) for completion in nine months.
However, the STP at Hazratbal, Habak and Laam were commissioned in February 2006, April 2006 and October 2006, respectively with time overruns of nine to 17 months.
The six STPs Hazratbal, Laam, Habbak, Brari Nambal, Nallah Aaamir Khan and Hotel Welcome estimated to cost Rs 21.45 crore were projected to be constructed in the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) . Out of these, three STPs Laam, Hazratbal and Habbak were taken up in the first phase at a cost of Rs 9.30 crore. The construction of two STPs (Brari Nambal and Nala Amir Khan) was under progress as of March 2011 and STP at Hotel Welcome was amalgamated with the one at Brari Nambal.
The CAG report highlights that tests of outflow of the two (Hazratbal, Habak) STPs conducted in August 2006 by LAWDA, however, showed that despite receiving treatment, the concentration of nutrients present in the wastewater had increased at the outflow stage vis-à- vis inflow stage.
Earlier the Comptroller and Auditor General of India for the year ended March 2006 has detailed that the percentage efficiencies of the STPs had ranged between 63.39 and (-) 366.3. Further, tests/monitoring (October 2008, March 2009 and January 2010) by the Authority had confirmed the increase in the nutrients at the outflow stage which was indicative of the fact that the STPs had not been functioning to the desired levels. Other parameters which define the purity of water too were inadequate and did not match the prescribed norms, report said.
The aggregate amount of Rs 11.05 crore (Habak: Rs 3.13 crore, Hazratbal: Rs 4.36 crore and Laam: Rs 3.56 crore) spent on construction of these three STPs had, thus, proved counterproductive for the health of the lake, the report laments.
The Vice Chairperson of Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) --an autonomous body under development Act, 1970 to look after, manage and conserve the water bodies and waterways of J&K-- while admitting in September 2011 that Ammonical Nitrogen and phosphorous contents had been found to be inconsistent stated that the firm had been directed to optimise the process to achieve the desired results.
“No steps had, however, been taken to arrest the problem. The Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) of LAWDA which was concerned over the functioning of the STPs, decided in June 2009 either to install de-nitrification units for the STPs or create artificial wetlands. The fact remains that the decision to install the de- nitrification plants or creation of the artificial wetlands had to be taken in view of improper functioning of the STPs not provided in the DPR,” it said.
It was also seen that the firm had also not conducted any internal assessment of the sewage characteristics to modify the design of STPs so as to ensure that the plants were able to function to the desired extent as per agreed terms. The payments made to the firm in view of the stipulation regarding payments to be made to the agency after satisfactory performance of the STPs were questionable. The reasons, though called for, were not furnished, the report said.
An on-the-spot verification of the three completed STPs showed that sewage collection chambers in all three STPs were without any covering/roof causing air pollution and foul smell. The VC in reply stated that providing of covering /roof was not provided in the contract and were not required at all. “The reply was not acceptable as during a spot visit to the area it was found that the sewage collection chambers were emitting a very foul smell,” it reads.
Keeping in view the environmental concerns of the lake, CAG suggested that a disaster management system should have been in place to overcome the problem that would arise in the event of the STPs becoming non-functional owing to power/machine failure, technical fault, etc. It was, however, seen that no planning was done by LAWDA to meet any such eventuality.
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