Town panchayat goes in for total sanitation solution

(File Photo - Rep Image)

Ponnampatti, one of the 16 town panchayats in Tiruchy district is back in focus for implementing a pilot-cum-demonstration-unit for liquid waste management and fecal sludge treatment from August 15, the coun-try's 70th Independence day, according to the executive officer of the Ponnampatti town pan-chayat, S.Sahul Hameed. Mr. Sahul Hameed told visiting newsmen at Ponnampatti on Thursday, that the pan-chayat had already been awarded ISO 9001.2015 certification for making the panchayat plastics-free in 2015. It had received both the Centre's and State's appreciation for its work. Referring to the pilot project, he said that the project will be implemented jointly with city-based 'Society for Community Organisation and People's Education
(SCOPE)', which is working in sanitation and environment for the last 30 years. Thunder of SCOPE Subburaman said it was proposed to set up fecal sludge treatment plant (FSA) to treat sludge col-lected from septic tanks within the panchayat area. He said it has been proven the treated sludge has manure value and could be utilised for the various farming purpose. The National Research Centre for Banana (NRCB) has agreed to coordinate development of appropriate products from treated sludge from the Ponnampatti plant, he noted. Mr. Subburaman said that 'Finish Society',
Lucknow is the project partner, which will extend financial support of Rs 10.06 lakh for these two projects, namely to treat sludge collected from septic tanks within the panchayat area at a cost of Rs. 7.59 lakh and to set up a low maintenance treatment system for the drain water at an estimated cost of Rs 2.52 lakh, to help achieve total sanitation status. To a question, Mr. Subburaman said this scheme had proved a success at Balangowda municipality in Sri Lanka and he had person-ally visited there to see how the coffee and tea estates have benefited from a similar project.