In the current project, a sewage treatment plant of 1.40 MLD Capacity will be constructed based on MBBR followed by a tertiary treatment facility for the Gamru and adjoin areas of upper Dharamshala. The said facility has been designed as per the provisions and recommendation by Manual of Sewerage and Sewage Treatment, published by Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organization (CPHEEO), of Government of India and revised guidelines for preparation of Design and Drawings by NRCD are largely adopted for design of sewerage system for this project.

Technological Interventions:

In the current project, integrated wastewater treatment methodology (Hybrid System) has been adopted aimed to minimise electricity without compromising the quality of treated effluent. Treatment systems include Primary treatment (Screen and Grit Channel), Secondary Treatment with MBBR technology and Tertiary Treatment with Constructed Wetland Technology – a Type of Natural Treatment System.

Philosophy behind Adoption of Hybrid Wastewater Treatment Systems:

Wastewater (characteristically having a BOD of about 300 mg/L) will be treated with a mechanised system (MBBR), and it is brought to less than BOD of 30 mg/L. Subsequently, treatment with mechanised systems would necessitate too many resources, the water is now treated with a natural system (Constructed Wetlands) for BOD less than 10 mg/L. The land required by natural systems to bring down the BOD to 10 mg/L in this hybrid system is significantly less as a majority of the treatment is done by the initial mechanised treatment. Thus, using both systems in combination, we will achieve the desired BOD level without wallowing on prices and taking up too much land as compared with solely natural treatment systems.

Further, the intended treatment levels will conform to the effluent standards for application on land as per The Environment Protection Act, 1986 and latest guidelines. The effluent is proposed to be discharged in a nearby water body. The effluent standards for inland surface water discharge includes 5-day BOD at 200C as 10 mg/l and suspended solids of 30 mg/l.

Reuse of Treated Effluent:

In the current proposal, a lake in the vicinity of STP with capacity 10 lakh liter will be developed that may be used in future as a reservoir for fire fighting arrangement in the downstream areas of the town, especially, Ram Nahar and Shyam Nagar. Also, the treated effluent from the STP may be used in irrigation in the town as well for agriculture lands. The proposed project will serve multiple purposes under Smart City Project.

Reuse of Treated Effluent:

• Developing comprehensive management system for sewerage facilities
• Encouraging property owners to connect to sewers where they are available
• Introducing improved quality assurance procedures and checks improving solid waste management
• Sanitation awareness and domestic hygiene

After successful testing and commissioning of all components, the assets will be transferred to ULB for taking care of O&M responsibilities. Considering the financial, technical & human resource constraints of the township, it is proposed to club the operation & maintenance of the sewerage system with STP in the first three years with a capital works contract. Later, with gradual capacity building of the ULB, the O&M of the system may be taken over by ULB or outsourced to some private operator.

To ensure sustainability of the project, it is imperative that revenue be generated from the beneficiaries of the system to recover the operation maintenance costs and if possible, costs for extension & up-gradation of facilities. In due course of time, it is required to levy reasonable user charges by ULB with the objective that full cost of operation and maintenance or recurring cost is collected. It is proposed that a suitable system in consultation with users and resident welfare associations is required to be developed for collecting charges for sewerage facilities. Two recommended options are; to levy sewerage charges as percentage of water charges and second is to charge property owners based on categorized localities and plot size with preference to the first option. Successful Implementation and commissioning of the project will considerably improve the water quality of adjoining water bodies with additional benefits in form of improvement in living environment, hygienic conditions of town people.

Summary:

Implementation of this sewage treatment plant not only serves the purpose of cost-effective way of wastewater treatment and reuse but will add the landscaping benefits in the vicinity.

In the hope of implementing the most recent research finding, we are delighted with the project, entitled, “Augmentation and Upgradation of Sewerage Scheme Dharamshala in Tehsil Dharamshala and Distt. Kangra (H.P) (SH:- Construction of 1.40 MLD Treatment Plant for Upper Dharamshala area including Operation and Maintenance for 03 years.)”.

Technical Data