STATE TIMES NEWS
LEH: With the inauguration of the newly constructed Faecal Sludge Treatment Plant (FSTP) at Bam Gard Leh by CEC, LAHDC, Leh Dr Sonam Dawa on Thursday, Leh becomes yet another city in India after Bangaluru to have an innovative project on Faecal Sludge Management (FSM). Dr Dawa also flagged off suction truck to be used for the FSTP.
CLP leader MLA Nawang Rigzin Jora, BODRA Director Stefan Reuter, BORDA South Asia Regional Coordinator Stanzin Tsepel, Executive Councillors, Councillor, officials and representatives from various government departments, NGO representatives and LAHDC officers were present on the occasion.
The plant was designed by BORDA and CDD Society and executed by Municipal Committee Leh and Blue Water Company, a sanitation service company that will provide end-to-end Faecal Sludge Management Services to make Leh the first ODF++ city in India. Leh Development Authority provided land for this project. The construction of the FSM was completed within a record time of seven weeks at the cost of Rs 52 lakh.
This is said to be the first integrated contract for FSM, a Public Private Partnership (PPP) where the private party will provide complete FSM services and also build a dedicated Faecal Sludge. All residents and commercial institutions of Leh will have to pay a fee for the FSM services to make it sustainable.
Earlier this year LAHDC had visited Devanahalli near Bangaluru to understand Faecal Sludge Management and realised that it was critical to protect the environment and water supply in Leh. Later, BORDA visited Leh to conceptualise FSM system for Leh city that can complement sewerage system that is under development. That is how Faecal Sludge Treatment Plant of Leh came up in a short span of time.
Earlier today, National Faecal Sludge and Septage Management (NFSSM) Alliance and Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council organised a seminar on the theme “The Scale Matter” with the aim to define strategies to upscale the number of towns with good quality FSSM services from 5 to 5000 across the country in the next three years’ period.
NFSSM Alliance Krishnan Hariharan and ADC Leh Moses Kunzang presented welcome address while Shiv Dass Meena Joint Secretary for AMRUT Ministry of Housing and Urban Develoment, Government of India presented the key note address. Municipal Committee Administrator Rigzin Spalgon gave the overview of the Leh town.
CLP leader Nawang Rigzin Jora asked LAHDC to rectify and revisit if there is anything that needs to be done with the proposed Sewerage Treatment Plant project. Hotel Association President Tashi Motup also spoke on the occasion.
