Recycled water for roadside plantations

In a first-of-its-kind measure by the state, the Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (HIDCO) has started watering roadside plantations with recycled waste water. March 22 is celebrated as World Water Day and this year the theme is "Why Waste Water".

Earlier, senior officials of HIDCO had asked the state Forest department and Public Health Engineering department (PHE) to coordinate among them and take up the initiative to implement the project. The Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) situated in Action Area II is manned by PHW while the Wasteland Development Corporation responsible for watering roadside plantation is a wing of the Forest department.

Water tankers containing recycled water were found watering the roadside plantations in Action Area II. Slowly, larger areas will be brought under its purview including Sector V. Before the project was actually implemented, tests were carried out to ensure that the trees would be safe if they are watered with recycled waste water.

It may be mentioned that some thousands of gallons of drinking water in Kolkata are wasted every day as it is used to water the streets and roadside plantations and parks. Drinking water is also used to wash vehicles that include taxis, dumpers, long-axle vehicles and trucks all over the city.

It may be mentioned that during the British period a pumping station to lift unfiltered water was set up at Mullickghat in Burrabazar area and unfiltered water was used for flushing and cleaning of roads. Every household had separate tanks for unfiltered water which was used for cleaning and flushing. It was also used to ash vehicles.

It may be mentioned that the Chennai Municipal Corporation was the first civic body in the country to make rainwater harvesting mandatory and the rainwater was used for cleaning, gardening and flushing which helped to save drinking water to a great extent.