Page 11 - March 2020 - WT Site

AP Polavaram project: NGT orders committee ‘Pay heed to waste water treatment’
to probe alleged violations
To discuss challenges being faced for managing, reusing and
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed a committee to recycling waste and wastewater management in Ludhiana, the
submit a report on a plea highlighting adverse consequences of PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry in association with
the Polavaram Project in Andhra Pradesh. A bench headed by the Federation of Industrial and Commercial Organisation
NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said a committee (FICO) organised a seminar, wherein more than 100 industrialists
-- comprising representatives of the Central Pollution Control from in and around Ludhiana participated. Gurmeet Singh Kular,
Board, additional principal chief conservator of forests, the State president, FICO and zonal chairman Ludhiana, Punjab State
Pollution Control Board and the district magistrate -- to give a Chapter, urged industrialists in Ludhiana to pay more attention
report on the factual aspects. “The committee may look into the towards the treatment of their wastewater and other pollution-
grievance of the applicant and give a separate report by e-mail by related matters. There is a need to ensure that the treatment
the next date of hearing. The CPCB will be the nodal agency for plants set up by industrial units are operational and untreated
compliance and coordination,” said the bench, also comprising waste is not dumped into the Buddha Nullah.
Justice S P Wangdi, while posting the matter for hearing on
May 4. According to the applicant Ponguleti Sudhakara Reddy, Chief guest Prof Satwinder Singh Marwaha, chairman, Punjab
the project may result in displacement of hundreds of families Pollution Control Board, said: “Over a period of time, our focus
without there being any plan for rehabilitation. on environment protection has declined and shift has been
towards increase in agriculture production and food security.
The plea, filed through advocate Sravan Kumar, alleged environment Technological development is the key for industrial growth
violations at the site and claimed that a huge quantity of waste and all stakeholders need to work together for environmental
material was being dumped in agricultural lands near Polavaram protection for giving better future to our younger generation.
project. Polavaram, which the Andhra Pradesh government claims Eminent speakers addressed participants and proposed solutions
is the “lifeline of the state”, was declared as a national project towards the improvement of current situation by conducting
under the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014. Being constructed across Water-Wastewater Audit and cleaning of the Buddha Nullah by
the Godavari river, the multi-purpose irrigation project is spread Korean Nano Bubble Innovative Technology for wastewater
across Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Chattisgarh. treatment during the session.

Meanwhile:
Ensure Polavaram project is done by June Taking a cue from the digestive physiology of a cow,
2021: Andhra CM Jagan ECOSTP is treating sewage water and finding takers

At its core is water treatment, but the process is unique. Bengaluru-
Directing officials to specifically focus on timely completion of based start-up ECOSTP Technologies converts “bad water into good
land acquisition, rehabilitation and resettlement (LARR) for the water using the cow stomach mechanism”. A large part of sewage
Polavaram Project, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has water in India is untreated, so the solution lies in sewage treatment
told water resources officials to prepare a plan of action to finish plants (STPs). But conventional STPs, says Tharun Kumar, one of
the project by June 2021. He also said work on the spillway and the four co-founders of the company, “need power and that too,
approach channel should be completed by June this year so water in most cases, thermal power”. The start-up offers a ‘Zero Power
can be diverted through them to enable the construction of an Zero Operator’ option, based on how a cow’s stomach functions.
earth-cum-rockfill dam (ECRF) even during the flooding season. “A cow’s stomach has four compartments which help it digest grass
The CM visited the project site on Friday and conducted an aerial using anaerobic bacteria and convert it to milk. Similarly, we use four
survey before holding a comprehensive review meeting with the chambers and anaerobic bacteria to convert bad water into good
officials. He noted that the action plan must be prepared taking water. You could call it biomimicry,” says Kumar.
into account previous mistakes. Recalling that work was stalled last Apart from Kumar, ECOSTP’s other co-founders also have
year for over four months during flooding as the planning lacked expertise in water management. E. Muralidharan, who was
vision, Jagan said steps should be taken to complete the spillway associated with NIH Georgia Tech, US, has expertise in bio-
and approach channel work by June so water can be channelled engineering. Simar Kohli is a hydro-sociologist. In the very first
to ensure working conditions for the ECRF dam. “Similarly, work year of being established in September 2017, the start-up signed up
on the gaps in the cofferdams should be completed by then,” he two clients and had a total revenue of around Rs 12 lakh. Kumar
said, adding that adequate funds would be allotted for the same as says they hope to add 64 clients in 2019/20 and increase revenue
Polavaram was among the government’s priorities. to Rs 3.5 crore.

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