Gurugram sewage gap: 63 MLD misses treatment plants as capacity plan expands

Gurugram is planning to expand its sewage treatment capacity to 977 million litres per day by December 2028, but a CAG audit has highlighted a major gap in the existing sewerage network, with 63 MLD of sewage failing to reach treatment plants.

The audit found that in March 2024, 63 MLD of sewage was not reaching the city’s existing sewage treatment plants and was apparently being released untreated into drains, reported The Times of India.

The city generated about 550 MLD of domestic sewage in areas under the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA). Of this, 90 MLD was being treated and reused by colonisers within their premises, leaving 460 MLD to be handled by the government system.

GMDA had installed treatment capacity of 415 MLD across 12 STPs, compared with the 460 MLD requiring treatment. However, average sewage inflow into these plants was only 397 MLD, leaving 63 MLD outside the treatment system.

The CAG calculated the untreated gap at 14 per cent of the sewage requiring treatment.

GMDA told the audit authorities that it had prepared an action plan after carrying out a detailed survey of drains involving the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram, Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran, Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation, Public Health Engineering Department and Haryana State Pollution Control Board.

The authority said measures had been taken to increase treatment capacity to 977 MLD by December 2028. The planned capacity is intended to cover projected sewage generation of 800 MLD as well as sewage that would be diverted from drains.

However, the existing gap highlights the importance of expanding the sewer network alongside treatment capacity.

Water governance and sustainability expert Dr Fawzia Tarannum said, “Gurgaon’s problem isn’t simply a shortage of treatment capacity. It is a gap across the entire sewage chain that has not been adequately studied. If 63 MLD is not reaching the plants, adding more STPs without fixing sewer connectivity, pumping infrastructure and household connections risks creating underutilised capacity.”

The CAG audit also identified cases where treatment infrastructure was not being fully utilised.

At Jahajgarh, GMDA had approved a 20 MLD STP in March 2020, but only 5 MLD of sewage was reaching the plant because the required sewer infrastructure was incomplete. The audit said Rs 18.67 crore spent on the project remained largely idle.

At Manesar, a 25 MLD STP approved in March 2020 was awarded in January 2022 for Rs 35.7 crore after three unsuccessful tender attempts. Its scheduled completion date was October 2023.

The audit also found that only 12 of the city’s 16 STPs were meeting prescribed wastewater discharge norms.

The findings indicate that Gurugram’s sewage challenge is not limited to treatment capacity and also involves collection, conveyance, pumping infrastructure and coordination between agencies.