Amid opposition, VMC inks MOU with IOC for treated sewage water

VADODARA: The Indian Oil Corporation Ltd’s (IOCL) Gujarat Refinery has signed MOU with Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) for using the treated sewage water for its refinery operations. The MOU was signed by municipal commissioner Dr Vinod Rao and Gujarat Refinery executive director, Sudhir Kumar in the presence of Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani who was recently in the city for attending the Chintan Shibir.
The Congress party had opposed the project and held protest in the general board hall at the VMC.

According to Gujarat Refinery officials, it will lift 21 million litres treated water from the Chhani sewage treatment plant. The initiative backed by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) will save fresh water that was earlier used by the refinery. Kumar said that in the view of future requirement for water due to refinery expansion, this step was taken to reduce the consumption of fresh water.

Kumar added that the STP will be set up by a third party which will deliver the treated water at the doorstep of the refinery through a 9km long pipeline to be laid by VMC from Chhani STP. The opposition Congress had raised questions regarding the functioning of the existing STP at Chhani which is to be upgraded and used for supplying the water. The Congress had alleged that the STP isn’t treating water properly.