Sewage increases in Dravyavati as JMC-G diverts open drains to river

Jaipur: The Jaipur Municipal Corporation (Greater) and Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) has locked horns with the later alleging that the municipal corporation is ‘unscientifically’ diverting open drainage lines to Dravyavati river increasing the volume of wastes in the river.
“Such practice by the JMC-Greater is severely hampering the Dravyavati river project. We had set up five sewerage treatment plants and because of the civic body, the pressure on these STPs is increasing every day,” said a senior JDA official.
Officials said, the problem is that while planning the Dravyavati river rejuvenation project, the JDA has observed that they need to treat around 120 MLD of sewage. Keeping in mind the growth of population in the next 10-12 years, the JDA had decided to construct five STPs on Dravyavati river –at Bassi Sitarampura (20 MLD), Devri (15 MLD), Sanganer (100 MLD), Bambala (25 MLD) and Goner (10 MLD) - with a combined capacity to treat 170MLD of sewage.
“Suddenly, within in four years after STPs got operational more than 150 MLD of sewage is being treated. This is not because there has been a sudden influx of population in the areas whose drainage network is connected to the river. But JMC (Greater) is connecting all open drainage network under is jurisdiction one by one to the river. Thus, increasing the quantity of sewage per day. In this way, within a year the quantity of sewage to be treated will get more than the combined capacity of the five STPs,” the JDA official added. Officials have alleged that despite repeated requests to JMC (Greater) the later has not paid any heed to their requests.
“Just two months back we have written a letter to the commissioner of JMC (Greater). But no steps have been taken yet. Pressure politics in going on and the residents along the river will be the sufferers again,” added another JDA official.
JMC-Greater deputy mayor Puneet Karnawat said that he is not aware of the issue. But he promised to investigate the issue and resolve the problem as soon as possible.
“Despite which political party runs which board, we should understand that both JDA and JMC have been created to look into the interest of Jaipur. So, there’s no point to play blame games. I would take up the issue and do whatever can be done for the betterment of Jaipur,” Karnawat said.