BMC to Upgrade 15-Year-Old Stormwater Pumping Stations

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) proposes to upgrade and maintain two stormwater pumping stations at Irla and Haji Ali for 15 years, costing Rs 640 crore. With the installation of both pumping stations beginning in 2007, much of the pumping station’s machinery, which discharges collected runoff rainwater, requires upgrades.

In addition, the BMC has invited tenders for bioremediation treatment — the process of using microbes and bio-culture to break down contaminants in sewage water to improve treatment — at six wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), namely Lovegrove in Worli, Bandra, Bhandup, Ghatkopar, Malad, and Versova for two years.

“The Mumbai Sewerage Disposal Project (MSDP) is in the process of developing large tertiary sewage treatment plants to ensure that the sewage discharged is appropriately treated. But that won’t be ready until December 2027,” stated a sewage operations department official. “In the meanwhile, we cannot release badly treated contaminated water into bodies of water or seas because it damages marine life. A National Green Tribunal (NGT) judgement has also specified the levels of chemicals that should be contained in effluents. In the meanwhile, it has advised using the bioremediation method to bridge the gap.

As mandated by the NGT, the goal is to reduce biological oxygen demand (BOD) to less than 10 mg/l, Total Suspended Solids (TSS) to less than 20 mg/1, Chemical oxygen demand (COD) to less than 50 mg/1, and pH levels to between 5.5 and 9. “The work will include testing the sewage samples before and after treatment, as well as monitoring the outfall from the WWTF,” according to the source.

Source: Hindustan Times

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