Telangana draws praise for septage management

Hyderabad: The State government’s innovative concepts for safe management of faecal sludge and septage management (FSSM) is receiving appreciation from across the country. The officials from Madhya Pradesh, which include two IAS officers and officials of municipal corporations of Jharkhand, Assam and Chhattisgarh, appreciated the environmental conservation measures adopted in Hyderabad and its vicinity. They made a special mention about the Faecal Sludge Treatment Plant (FSTPs) near Nalla Cheruvu, Uppal which was inaugurated in July by Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD), KT Rama Rao.

The Uppal plant with a capacity of 40 KLD can treat around 14 truckloads a day generated from the surrounding communities covering approximately 80,000 people. The visiting officials were in the city specifically to see the treatment of faecal sludge in Hyderabad. During their visit to the plant in Uppal, they were accompanied by Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) officials.

The reasons for Hyderabad being shortlisted for the study tour/visit could be attributed to the series of innovations that include setting up of Faecal Sludge Treatment Plant (FSTP) in Uppal, proposals of new FSTPs in Nagaram and Injapur and other environmental conservation measures. Water Plus certification being awarded to Hyderabad by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) under Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) is also one of the reasons for the city being shortlisted. The tour was organised by the Administrative Staff College of India and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Briefing the officials from the four States about the course of action adopted in the city and surroundings, HMWS&SB Managing Director Dana Kishore said that to make sure the water bodies were not polluted and to safeguard the health of people, concrete measures were being taken which include treatment of septic tank waste.

“As a part of the exercise, Dial-a-Septic Tank cleaner service was inaugurated by Minister KT Rama Rao. To treat the waste generated by around 12 lakh buildings located in Outer Ring Road villages, exclusive arrangements have been made. Besides this, more FSTPs which can meet the needs of the Hyderabad surroundings in the coming 20 years will also be set up,” he added.