Cuttack: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today inaugurated the much awaited Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) under the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-assisted integrated sanitation project in Cuttack.
This is the first phase of the integrated JICA sanitation project which aims at improving overall sanitation through discharge of waste water after proper treatment.
“The mega sanitation project is underway in Cuttack at an estimate cost of Rs 3,000 crore. Protecting both Mahanadi and Kathajodi from pollution is everybody’s responsibility. Today, the 36 MLD (million litre per day)-sewage treatment plant has been made operational which will greatly benefit the Cuttack city,” said Patnaik.
Barabati-Cuttack MLA Debasish Samantaray informed that nearly 350 km of underground pipelines would be laid under the JICA project and the work is completed for 275 km. JICA officials informed that all the waste water from households from Bidanasi, Choudhry Bazaar and nearby localities will be treated at plant at CDA and will be subsequently released into river.
Official sources informed that Rs 800 crore have been spent on construction of the sewage treatment plant, pumping stations and laying of pipelines.
It is pertinent to mention here that chief minister Naveen Patnaik had laid the foundation stone for the JICA project in October 2012 with July 2016 as deadline for completion.
However, the deadline was initially extended to September 2018 and now it has been further extended with a target to complete the project by July 2019.