SMC considering proposal to sell treated water to KRIBHCO

SURAT, APRIL 30: The Surat Municipal Corporation has undertaken a project to find out whether it was feasible to sell treated water from Bhe...

SURAT, APRIL 30: The Surat Municipal Corporation has undertaken a project to find out whether it was feasible to sell treated water from Bhesan-Aanjana Sewage Treatment plant to Krishak Bharati Co-operative Limited (KRIBHCO) and industrial units located in Sachin estate.

At present, the treated water is released into the Tapi river. According to Municipal Commissioner S Jagadeesan, industrial units located in Sachin have shown readiness to buy the treated water. Discussion with fertiliser giant KRIBHCO, whose daily requirement of water is 12 MLD, was also in preliminary stage, the municipal commissioner added. The Sachin Industrial Association and KRIBHCO had sought water from the SMC.

The project is part of the civic body’s efforts to raise alternate sources of money. Recently the civic body had entered into an agreement with industrial units in Pandesara for supplying water to the processing units, who were dependent upon water tankers and private bore-wells to meet their requirements.

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The civic body will lay pipelines and build a distribution centre at an estimated cost of Rs 20 crore. Though the SMC will bear the capital cost it expects to rake in Rs 45 crore annually by charging Rs 25 per 1,000 litre, Rs 5 more than what the units are now paying to tankers. The units are likely to get water by the year-end as the standing committee has already cleared the proposal.

If the civic body could sell treated water from the Bhesan-Anjana sewage plant it would also benefit residents of Bhesan and nearby areas who complain of pollution. Last year, mixing of drainage water and potable water had caused gastro-enteritis in the area.