Himalaya Harbinger, Rudrapur Bureau.
The state’s first Faecal Sludge Treatment Plant (FSTP) in US Nagar district headquarters, Rudrapur has become a significant source of income for the Rudrapur Municipal Corporation (RMC), generating over Rs 3 lakh in just three and a half months through septage management fees. The government is now planning to transfer the plant’s operations from the Peyjal Nigam to the Municipal Corporation.
Established under the Central Government’s Amrit Yojana, the plant is situated on a one-acre plot near the Forensic Institute on Kichha Bypass Road. Built at a cost of Rs 6.89 crore, the plant has a capacity of 125 kiloliters per day (KLD) and began operations in the last week of May. Currently, a fee of Rs 200 is charged to tanker owners for dumping septage at the plant. The plant’s operations have started yielding revenue under the Amrit Yojana.
“There are 13 private tankers and one municipal tanker operating in the city. The corporation charges Rs 1,500 for emptying a septic tank. Out of this, 10% is paid to the Municipal Corporation, and 10% goes to the company operating the plant,” said Municipal Commissioner Naresh Durgapal.
“The government is expected to soon issue an order to hand over the plant’s operations to a private company for the next five years. Outgoing Mayor Rampal Singh had also played a crucial role in establishing the FSTP. The plant will convert human waste into fertilizer for agricultural use”, he added.
