Chandigarh: The Rs 5.4-crore leachate treatment plant (LTP) planned at the tail-end of the Dadumajra dumpsite has cleared a key technical hurdle, with Punjab Engineering College (PEC) vetting its design. The municipal corporation (MC) can now move ahead with the project, with ground work expected to begin after the rainy season.The 250-KLD plant is intended to collect and scientifically treat seepage or wastewater generated from the dumpsite. The project is aimed at ensuring that leachate from the waste site is treated in accordance with prescribed environmental and pollution-control norms.PEC was engaged by the MC as a third-party consultancy agency to scrutinise and finalise the LTP design prepared by the agency selected to execute the project. Its experts assessed key technical parameters, including flow, aeration and capacity, besides examining the design of the dedicated treatment tank.“Aspects related to flow, aeration and capacity were among the key parameters assessed. Construction of the dedicated tank, another component of the LTP, was also examined in detail,” sources told TOI.The agency selected by the MC a few months ago had prepared the design and submitted it to PEC for vetting.“There are several technical elements involved in the LTP project, so the MC preferred to hire PEC experts as a third-party agency,” an official told TOI.With the design and related documentation now vetted, the agency is expected to begin work at the earmarked tail-end area after the monsoon. Officials of the MC engineering department will monitor the work and submit reports to senior administrative officers from time to time, as required.Officials concerned have already held a preliminary meeting with the agency to discuss the commencement of work at the site, sources said.The project was planned on the basis of a detailed project report prepared by a private consultant hired by the civic body. Technical assistance was also sought from the Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee (CPCC).Expenditure on the project will be met from the ring-fenced amount set aside for solid and liquid waste management, as directed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT).BOX | What the Dadumajra LTP will do— Cost: Around Rs 5.4 crore— Capacity: 250 KLD— Purpose: Collect and scientifically treat seepage or wastewater generated from the Dadumajra dumpsite— Technical oversight: PEC was engaged by the MC to vet the LTP design, while technical assistance was also sought from CPCC— Funding: The project will be financed from the ring-fenced amount set aside for solid and liquid waste management, as directed by the NGT
