The Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) in Nilokeri town of Karnal district in Haryana services 20 neighbouring villages, by which faecal sludge from septic tanks and single pit toilets of those villages is safely desludged and co-treated at the STP.
Implemented by the Public Health Engineering Department of Haryana, the plant which has a capacity of 6 MLD has been in operation since 2020. It has 10 drying sludge beds, and the technology used is MBBR (Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor) and activated sludge.
The average volume of faecal sludge received from villages each day is 8-12 KLD.
Co-treatment is a process where a Sewage Treatment Plant (STP), in addition to treating the domestic sewage transported through a sewerage city, also treats faecal sludge and septage emptied from various onsite sanitation systems prevalent in the city.
Septage and faecal sludge generated at the time of cleaning and emptying of septic tanks, has significant organic and pathogenic pollutant load, and requires treatment before disposal for a safe and healthy environment. Co-treatment of Septage at Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) is one of the solutions that can be implemented for the treatment of faecal sludge.
The 20 villages being served in the Nilokheri STP are – Arjaheri, Samanabahu, Bakipur, Kalsi, Lathron, Barsalu, Sohlo,Amar garh, Barana Khalsa, Brani, Khalsa, Sidhpur, Barthal, Kamalpur, Anjanthali, Nilokheri Rural, Poojam, Raipur Roran, Sandhir, Sikri and Butana.
As many as 7 tankers are being used to desludge the septic tanks (one government operator and 6 private operators) which charge Rs. 800 per household for desludging. All the private operators are registered at the BDPO office in Nilokheri.
IEC activities are being carried out by Block and District level teams to mobilise the community and generate awareness regarding FSM. In addition, hoardings, slogans and paintings bearing sanitation messages have been erected.
Significantly, all the workers have been trained in safe de-sludging, transportation and treatment procedures. They have also been provided with safety gear and other accessories such as long size gloves, boots, masks and sanitizers.
Across Haryana, the state has identified 74 STPs for co-treatment; and mapped 216 private tankers for the transportation of faecal sludge. While as many as 10 districts have initiated co-treatment, 1426 villages have been covered for co-treatment in the nearby STPs; and an agency has been empanelled to construct Faecal Sludge Treatment Plants (FSTPs) in 2 districts.
In 2022-23, the State has plans to identify an additional 106 STPs to cover co-treatment of 1484 villages; and set up 22 FSTPs in 22 Blocks, covering 2584 villages. To generate awareness on the need and importance of FSM, IEC activities will be carried out in all those villages.
Swachh Bharat (Grameen) 