In a bid to generate biogas for meeting the local energy need and to treat household waste water before discharging it into the river, a community-based waste water treatment plant has been set up in the village. The plant aims to benefit more than 3,000 people. Locals have implemented the practice of converting foul smelling human wastes and drainage into useful methane gas, a substitute for LPG gas, manure and water for household works. [break]
The idea was conceptualized when sewage from Banepa polluted the Punyamata River affecting public health.
The establishment of the plant was a joint effort of the locals, municipality and UN Human Settlement Program (UN-HABITAT). The municipality provided 4 ropanis of land worth Rs 1.7 million and UN-HABITAT provided a sum of Rs 5.3 million in aid. Similarly, technical assistance was provided by Environment and Public Health Organization (ENPHO) to locals for maintenance of the plant. Locals worked free of cost for the construction and contributed a sum of Rs 1million.
The treatment plant was set up with six horizontal reed bed treatment systems (wetlands) of 175 cubic meters and two biogas reactors of 75 cubic meters in four ropanis of land adjoining sewage pipe of over 200 households for collection of waste water.
The plant has manifold advantages to the village.
Firstly being environment-friendly, it gives nearly two cylinders of biogas every day, produces high quality compost manure for crops and it also helps to keep the river clean.
This sustainable plant has stopped the waste water generated in the village from getting directly mixed with Punyamata River. Solid particles like human excreta are separated from the liquid waste and are first sent to two biogas reactors to produce biogas and the liquid is sent to reed bed treatment system. The liquid is then purified by reed´s roots that contain a huge amount of bacteria. The treated water is then discharged into the river and the digested sludge is converted into compost manure.
Currently, the plant has been treating waste generated by around 200 households of Shreekhandapur village and has been generating over 30 kg methane gas every day. The plant is expected to produce biogas for cooking purposes to around 200 families. The municipality has been charging Rs. 350 per house every month for the maintenance of the plant.
"The treated water is pure enough to be used in the bathrooms to flush toilets and irrigate in the kitchen gardens," says Purna Bahadur Karmacharya, President of Shreekhandapur Waste Water Treatment Plant Users Committee.
If the waste treatment plant constructed in Shreekhandapur proves efficient, Urban and Environmental Improvement Project (UEIP), under funding of Asian Development Bank plans to construct 30 other Reed Bed Treatment systems in cities surrounding Kathmandu valley.
Related story
The art of creative reuse : Upcycling waste and upscaling the e...
