Page 12 - Clean India Journal March Issue - Digital Edition

NEWS TRACK

municipal corporations of Prayagraj Sectors 9, 13 and 15 of the Mela Bioremediation
and Lucknow for co-processing area. Each plant has a treatment
segregated municipal plastic waste capacity of 500 kilolitres per day. Bioremediation is another
at its cement works. This approach There are around 11 permanent approach being used at the Maha
decreases the reliance on use of sewage treatment plants and three Kumbh, a natural and environment-
conventional fossil fuels for cement temporary plants that are able to friendly method applied to greywater
manufacturing while also reducing manage wastewater from temporary collected in approximately 75 large
the burden of landfill and of plastic toilets and drains, alleviating ponds, ensuring the water is treated
leaching into soil and water bodies. the burden on the city’s existing effectively and safely. This approach
sewage infrastructure. In addition, could be visualised as a series of
Waste management the authorities have implemented large ponds, each teeming with

(ISRO & BARC) comprehensive sanitation measures beneficial microorganisms that break
Nuclear technology has paid a to maintain an open defecation-free down pollutants and cleanse the
environment. Over 1.5 lakh litres
crucial role in ensuring hygiene in of sewage is treated by these plants water.
the 45-day, mammoth scale Maha daily at the mela. The Uttar Pradesh The technologies being
Kumbh mela, which saw more than Government has also made 1.5 lakh deployed aim to mitigate critical
a crore pilgrims per day visit the environmental concerns such
district and take a dip in the holy toilets at the Mela site. as prevention of river water
Sangam. Managing the scale of contamination, reduction in
waste generation, with nearly 16 Geo-tube Technology potential health risks from waste
million litres of faecal sludge and Another technique is Geo-tube and sewage, and minimisation
240 million litres of greywater every Technology which can be seen as a of the ecological footprint of the
day, and massive solid waste from giant tea bag which holds and treats gathering. The operational strategy
millions of pilgrims, was a logistical large volumes of liquid waste. This for waste management includes
challenge. The UP state government technology helps in the containment reducing manual handling to a
enlisted the support of Indian Space and treatment of waste, ensuring
Research Organisation (ISRO) and that only clean water is released minimum, emphasising source-level
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre back in the environment. This waste segregation using advanced
(BARC), two of India’s premier technology has played a pivotal technological interventions, and
scientific institutions, to tackle this role in cleaning waste from the implementing strategic disposal
formidable task. 23 untapped drains of Prayagraj mechanisms, as observed by experts.
city, ensuring good quality water As one pilgrim observed: The
hgSBR and FSTPs in the Ganga for pilgrims’ bathing. success of Mahakumbh 2025 could
One of the advanced technologies Every day, 100 to 130 million be attributed to the harmonious
used is the Hybrid Granular litres of water are treated using confluence of faith, governance,
Sequencing Batch Reactor geo-tube technology before being technology, discipline, and divine
(hgSBR), developed through an released into the Ganga The waste grace. For the first time in history, the
ISRO-BARC collaboration. This extracted during the treatment Mahakumbh was designed to be a
a compact biological treatment process is being collected in geo- “Green Kumbh”, setting an example
method for effective removal of tubes, made of pure textile fibres for mass gatherings worldwide.
contaminants from domestic and and threads, which will be emptied Extensive waste management and
industrial wastewaters. It makes and processed into compost once water conservation efforts ensured
use of the natural microbes present the four-month treatment cycle is that the Ganga remained pristine.
in the wastewater for removing complete. Temporary treatment Use of biodegradable materials, zero
contaminants. In simple terms, plants have been installed at plastic zones, and eco-conscious
it could be seen as a high-tech nine sites, from where the waste campaigns turned Mahakumbh into
washing machine which treats is channelled to the geo-tube- a spiritual yet sustainable event.
sewage instead of clothes. This based treatment plant set up at More than 15,000 sanitation workers,
technology is being used at three Rajapur. This treatment plant uses
prefabricated Faecal Sludge ozonisation instead of chlorination, feted by the government after the
Treatment Plants (FSTPs), as high levels of chlorine in treated event, ensured that the gathering of
efficiently processing human waste water are harmful to aquatic life. millions left no adverse impact on the
and ensuring that the environment Ozonisation eliminates all faecal environment.
remains clean and safe. bacteria, and the treated water is Compiled by Rajashri Ramakrishnan &
The FSTPs were established in then safely released into the river. Nandakumar Marar
12 MARCH 2025•Clean India Journal•www.cleanindiajournal.com