Sewage Treatment plant commissioned

Madurai, Feb 24 (PTI): The Corporation''s Sewage TreatmentPlant (STP), reportedly the second biggest in India, wasformally commissioned today by District Collector C Kamarajand Mayor Tenmozhi Gopinathan.

The Plant at Avaniapuram, using sequential batch reactortechnology, can treat 125 Million Litres a Day (MLD) comparedto the 100-MLD plant in Mumbai, the second biggest in thecountry.

Another STP with 45.7 MLD capacity was inaugurated atSakkimangalam.

Corporation chief engineer K Sakthivel said Madurai is oneof the first cities to have underground drainage,dating to1924. The facility had been extended in 1959,1963,and 1983.

"The latest technology will treat sewage to the bestPossible level. The quality of treatment would be better thannorms pollution control board norms and require lesser landthan other technologies. The treated water can be used forIndustrial and farm purposes, he said.

The Avaniapuram plant had earned 42000 carbon credits and aSpain-based company had agreed to pay Rs 2.5 crore a year tothe corporation to avail it. The STPs would protect theenvironment and is considered one of the clean developmentmechanism projects by the United Nation framework conventionon climate change.