PCB to get its first sewage treatment plant next year

Board members approve project; cost pegged between Rs 15 cr and Rs 20 cr

PCB to get its first sewage treatment plant next year

Board members approve project; cost pegged between Rs 15 cr and Rs 20 cr

Camp residents will soon have all their sewage and drainage water treated for the first time in several years. The Pune Cantonment Board (PCB)have recently approved a major project that will comprise a sewage treatment plant (STP). The estimated cost of the project is Rs 15 crore to Rs 20 crore, and the plant will be located near the Quartergate Chowk, off Jan Mohammad Street, near Bhavani Peth.

The board members cleared the proposal a month ago and are now waiting for the appointment of the private consultants who will carry out the feasibility study and technical evaluation for the project. PCB member Manjur Shaikh confirmed the development and said the meeting for finalising the consultant is scheduled next week.

"Around six to seven reputable consultancies have evinced interest and each one will give a detailed presentation after which the decision will be made. This is a first-of-its-kind project to be carried out by the board and will benefit lakhs of Camp residents. The plant's capacity and other technical issues will be decided after the presentations following the floating of tenders. It should be operational latest by late 2012," said Shaikh.

The ground is near the Ravindranath Tagore school, which is also the border between PCB and Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) limits. Another member, Prasad Kedari, said that the tendering should start in four to five months and the school's playground will not be affected. "The spot where the STP will come up is located just aft of the playground and the schoolchildren will not be affected in any way," he said.

Some areas in Camp are relatively low-lying, which will make it technically challenging for the network of pipes running in and out of the STP. At the moment, officials are unclear whether roads will have to be dug up for the laying of the pipes or the construction of the STP.u00a0Chief Executive Officer Rachel Koshy was unavailable for comment.