Sindh government likely to set up four effluent treatment plants

Sindh government is likely to set up at least four combined effluent treatment plants for the industrial areas of the city including laying of interceptor sewers to abate environment pollution, it is learnt.
According to officials, the establishment of four combined effluent treatment plants in industrial areas - Korangi Industrial Area, Landhi Industrial Area, SITE Industrial Area, Federal B Industrial Area and North Karachi Industrial Area - with a cost of Rs 7366 million would be completed in three years.
The funding on these effluent plants would be made on the basis of 50:50 percent by the federal and the provincial government, they said, adding the scheme would be forwarded to the Centre Development Working Party (CDWP) for its approval.
At least three locations were selected in the area of combined treatment plant-1, seven locations for the plant-2 (Trans Lyari), eight for Federal B and North Karachi while two for Korangi and Landhi industrial areas.
These points were selected to assess the sewerage flows from each of the industrial estate which can be collected through interceptor sewers which will collect the sewage flows from the outfall points of each industrial area and carry it to their relevant plants.
Moreover, the flow measurements were also conducted by taking a straight section of every main drain from each of the industrial area with a uniform profile marked out at each of the measuring locations. The cross sectional area of the drain was estimated by measuring the depth of flow in the center and either side of the drain, they said.
To determine the flow velocities, a series of surface floats were placed in the streams and their time to travel a set distance along the streams were recorded, they said, adding that the results were used to compute the surface velocity of flow in the streams.
Presently, the flow of SITE Industrial Area stood at 19MGD, SITE Translyari Industrial Area 27MGD, Federal B and North Karachi Industrial Areas 8MGD and Korangi and Landhi Industrial Areas at 26 MGD, they added. The effluent plants would be designed primarily for the removal of biochemical oxygen, chemical oxygen and suspended solids to bring these three common pollutants within the limits of National Environment Quality Standards (NEQS).
Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) on behalf of all the industries lying within its jurisdiction would be fully responsible for ensuring that the combined effluents being discharged to the disposal body conform to the NEQS in respect of all the pollutants listed in quality standard as per the law, they further said.
Furthermore, the officials said that basic purpose of these combined effluent treatment plants was to treat wastewater before its final discharge into the receiving water-body as per the requirements of the NEQS and avoid contamination of soil and groundwater.
The achievements of this important project would also contribute to a successful implementation of the National Conservation Strategy, besides meeting new challenges in the international market to the export-oriented industry due to the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The industrialists would be facilitated in abiding national laws but also the international market by fulfilling the aspects of environmental compliance.