The Kozhikode Corporation is planning to purchase two compact sewage treatment plant (STP) units under the AMRUT 1.0 scheme. A meeting of the Corporation council recently decided to set up one of the compact STPs at the Mavoor Road crematorium and the other at one of the community halls under the civic body.
The Corporation had earlier received an administrative sanction of ₹2.427 crore for the purchase of two mobile septage units, two mobile toilet units, and two compact STPs. But the council later decided to purchase septage collection vehicles and CCTV cameras to be set up at common waste dumping spots in place of the mobile septage unit and applied to the AMRUT State-level High Powered Steering Committee for approval. However, the request for CCTV cameras was not approved.
The plan for compact STPs became relevant against the backdrop of severe protests that the Corporation faced while trying to set up STPs in two coastal wards. However, the Corporation is moving ahead with renewed plans for STPs at West Hill and near the Sarovaram Bio Park.
Compact STPs come in handy where large STPs cannot be set up. They have only 10,000 kilolitre capacity and can be set up in much smaller spaces. They can be purchased from the Government of India’s Government e Marketplace (GEM) portal.
The council has also decided to purchase three septage collection vehicles, one using the Corporation’s own funds and two using AMRUT funds. They will be mainly used to carry septage from different parts of the city to the treatment plant on the medical college campus.
