BMC to Initiate Project to Generate Energy from Sewage Sludge

Mumbai:The water coming from the sewage treatment plants in Mumbai is soon going to be recycled. In addition, a power generation plant has also been proposed from the large sewage plant from the sludge emitted after the process. About Rs 5,000 crore has been allocated in the BMC budget for setting up, operating, and operating sewage treatment plants (STPs) and generating electricity.

A sewage treatment plant is being set up to provide a 100 percent sewage treatment facility to the citizens of Mumbai. The civic body currently has a capacity of 2,061.07 km. A network of sewerage lines is operational and provides sewerage facilities to 85.15 percent of Mumbai's total area and 77.80 percent of the population. The water released from it should be treated and released into the sea. The Green Tribunal had imposed a fine on the civic body and directed it to set up a sewage treatment plant at the earliest. Accordingly, sewage treatment plants will be set up at seven places namely Worli, Bandra, Dharavi, Versova, Malad, Bhandup, and Ghatkopar.

Seven new sewage treatment plants will be set up to treat sewage coming out of Mumbai. Once the center is ready, it will release a large amount of silt. The energy will be generated from the biogas generated from this sludge.

At present, the BMC is focusing on the construction of the centers and the operation and maintenance of the sewage treatment plant by implementing the project, replacing the necessary machinery and plants, and processing the bio-sludge generated.

The project's design work is underway:

1) The BMC has been given the work of preparing and constructing the proposed sewage plan and these works are in progress.

2) The second level processing capacity of these seven sewage treatment plants is 2464 DL. Of this, 50 percent, or 1,233 DL, is available per day. A third level of water will be treated every day. 

1,400 million liters of sewage treatment per day:

Around 1,400 million liters of sewage are said to be treated and discharged into the sea every day in Mumbai. A large amount of sediment accumulates during this process. When the civic body starts a new major sewage project, it is likely to collect a few tonnes of silt.