Lack of power line delays STP's test run

KARIMNAGAR: Lack of power supply is delaying the test run of the newly-constructed sewage treatment plant (STP). Authorities of the public health wing had even shot off a letter to the electricity department seeking a new line to supply 315 KV power to the plant in order to conduct the test run, in November, 2015. However, the officials of the power department have not given their nod for it. The STP has been built on the outskirts of Bommakal village of Karimnagar mandal, as part of the Under Ground Drainage (UGD) system taken up in the city. The UGD was sponsored by the Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme (UIDS) for small and medium towns, a component of Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).

The UGD works were taken up in 2008 at an estimated cost of Rs 76.5 crore. Public health executive engineer M. Bhadraiah said in order to conduct the trial run of the plant, over 2,500 inspection chambers (IC) were already constructed in the divisions  19, 20 and 21, all adjacent localities to the STP. About 800 KV power is required to operate the plant. Initially, 315 KV of power is needed for the test run, he added. “We are unable to carry out test run due to lack of a power line to the plant. We wrote to the superintendent engineer of TS Northern Power Distribution Corporation, Karimnagar district, three months ago urging him to sanction a new line for supplying 315 KV to the STP. He did not provide the estimated cost of the line so far,” Mr. Bhadraiah said.

According to the authorities, over 95 pc of the works relating to the UGD have been completed. However, about Rs 50 crore grant has to be spent on building inspection chambers across the city in order to commence the new system.  Telangana CM K. Chandrasekar Rao assured to sanction the funds, but did not fulfill his promise yet.