‘Septage’ management plant inaugurated

Our Correspondent Kohima, Oct.16 (EMN): A "septage management unit" for Kohima was officially inaugurated and handed over to the Kohima Municipal Council (KMC) on Wednesday by Dr. Neikiesalie Kire, advisor for Urban Development and Municipal Affairs, at Dzürüzou in Meriema of Kohima. The capital town of Nagaland is first among the north-eastern states to get the sewage management plant funded by the ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. The project has been taken up as part of the North Eastern Region Capital Cities Development Investment Program (NERCCDIP ) through (MoUA) while the State Investment Program Management and Implementation Unit (SIPMIU) functioning under the Urban Development establishment is the implementing agency of the program in Nagaland . Inaugurating the the sewage management unit and flagging off eight cesspool vehicles at the site, Neikiesalie Kire said that the setting up of such a plant is going to be a ‘blessing for the people’. Kire said it was for the first time that he was coming across such an initiative being taken up by the SIPMIU. He mentioned that under the blessings of the ministry and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the project which started at Dzürüzou, had come as the first of its kind in the entire Northeast region. “I hope this beautiful spot remains beautiful in the years to come,” Kire said. Asserting that the central government and the ADB have installed a big project in the capital city, he said it was challenging for the state. Hence, the legislator called for more devoted and dedicated people to take up the new work. He appealed to the waste management authorities to see that the staff get to familiarise with handling the work at the plant, which is equipped with new facilities. “The operation of this facility is of prime importance and special care has to be enforced to avoid pollution in and around this site,” the advisor said. The legislator also reminded people about the nuisance of faecal sludge being discharged from leaking toilet pipes and septic tanks which release a foul stench and affects the health of the people. He cautioned that the water from the septic tanks also affects plantations and vegetation downstream. Kire was appreciative of the seawage management unit, which is located at a convenient site with all the modern amenities for workers to operate the plant. The legislator has wished the KMC to fully manage and provide services to the public.Kire appealed to the citizens of Kohima to cooperate with the council by utilising the cesspool trucks which have been made available in the town to empty and dispose the septic tank waste 'scientifically in an environmentally safe manner.' “These efforts from our end will not only solve our city’s sanitation problems but also enable the city to be cleaned, safe and environment friendly,” he said. Limanaro, a chief engineer for the Public Works department (roads and bridges), delivered the technical report. She said that the contract package for the work was awarded to joint venture consortium M/s Vi-u Angami & Sons- Tomco Engineering Pvt. Ltd-Shaji P.C Pvt. Ltd for INR 32.22 crore. Work started in August 2016 and was completed in June 2019. The major components of the contract package are a 90 KLD capacity sewage treatment plant, eight cesspool vehicles, an administrative building with a workers' restroom, a laboratory for testing the effluent standards, staff quarters, operators' quarters, vehicle garages, security cabin, approach road with drainage system from National Highway 2 to the site; a two lakh liters capacity rainwater harvesting pond, an 11 KV transmission line and installation of a 400 KV A, 11/0.43 sub-station, 100 KVA DG set, retaining walls around the site, and facilities such as internal roads, high masts, water supply and fire fighting arrangements, and compound wall etc. Here, sewage will undergo processes of sedimentation, anaerobic and aerobic reaction, primary and secondary filtration processes etc. The solids/cakes produced in the process can be used as manure for agricultural purpose. The discharged effluent, water, shall be in accordance with BIS standards which can be re-used for washing, gardening etc or discharged in drains. The operation and maintenance (O&M) of the plant by the contractor is for a period of one year, which came into force from July 2019. The modalities for handing over of the facility to the KMC during the O&M period of the contractor shall be worked out. During the O&M period, the KMC personnel can be trained to manage the facility. Since its operation from July 2019, about 3.85 lakh liters (83 trips) of sewage collected from the town have been treated at the plant. Speaking during the occasion, Kovi Meyase, administrator of the KMC, said that the SIPMIU had completed and handed over the ‘good and highly prestigious’ project to the KMC. “It was another red letter day for us,” he said, adding that sustaining and maintaining the plant would be a challenging task. However, he was hopeful that during the one-year 'handholding' period, the staff would be equipped enough to be able to run the plant. He requested the SIPMIU to give the KMC the management manual. Kelhoupralie Whuorie, the chairman of Meriema Village Council, acknowledged the government officials for proposing and implementing the project on the village's land. He assured full cooperation to the management authorities.