The topic'waste water treatment in Ganga river basin' discusses the reuse/reclamation concept of treated sewage, current status concerning to this at Allahabad(ganga river basin area). Bottlenecks and possible solutions for the purpose of reuse/reclamation are discussed.

1. Waste Water Treatment in
Ganga River Basin
Manoj Chaurasia
Assistant Environment Engineer
U P POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
Nirmal Dhara! Aviral Dhara!

2. Sequence of Presentation
• ENVIRONMENT & POLLUTION
• GOVERNING BODIES IN INDIA
• ENVIRONMENTAL ACTS & RULES
• WASTE WATER TREATMENT OBJECTIVES
• MA GANGA & POLLUCTION SOURCES
• CENTRAL GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES FOR AVIRAL DHARA
• WASTE WATER STATUS IN ALLAHABAD
• COMMENT ON DISINFECTION
• TERTIARY TREATMENT SCHEME
• BOTTLENECKS IN REUSE & RECLAMATION
• POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS: RESUE & RECLAMATION

3. Water Pollution Air Pollution
Hazardous waste
Municipal solid waste
Noise Pollution
Bio-medical waste
E-Waste
ENVIRONMENT and POLLUTION
Rivers, ground water Ambient air quality
Open dumps in cities
Infectious waste
D.G. sets, Crackers
Toxic chemicals, Contamination
Discarded TV, Comp. parts

4.  Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF),
Government of India
 Establishes environmental policies, sets goals and
facilitate the implementation of such policies.
 Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)
 To set environmental standards for all parts of the
country.
 State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) and
Pollution Control Committees (PCCs)
 Regulatory bodies set up for the implementation of the
norms to bring pollution under control in the
respective states and union territories.
Governing Bodies in India

5.  Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974
 Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981
 Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
 Bio-Medical Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 1998
 The Noise Pollution (Regulation & Control) Rules, 2000
 Municipal Solid Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 2000
 Hazardous Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 1989
 .…….
 …….
Functions and responsibilities of CPCB, SPCBs &
PCCs are assigned under these Acts and Rules.
Environmental Acts and Rules

6.  Waste water - Which is not usable but thrown in the
environment.
 Sources- Domestic activities and various industrial
activities .
 Objectives of Treatment- To protect the general
environment and public health.
 Extent of Treatment- Based on receiving bodies. (inland
waters, on land, ocean)
We can get any pollutant out of water (at a cost)!
Waste Waster Treatment : Introduction

7. Constituents in Waste Water
Constituents in municipal wastewater subject to treatment:
Conventional: TSS, Colloidal solids, BOD, COD, TOC,
Ammonia, Nitrate, Nitrite, Total nitrogen, Phosphorus,
Bacteria, Virus, cysts.
Non-conventional: Refractory organics, VOCs, Surfactants,
Metals,TDS
Emerging: Prescription & nonprescription drugs, Home
care products, Veterinary and human antibiotics, Industrial
& household products, Sex & steroidal products, Other
endocrine disrupters

8. Ma Ganga : Aviral Dhara
The entire stretch of river Ganga (main stem) can be viewed into
three segments:
A. Upper Ganga ≈ 294 km Gaumukh to Haridwar
B. Middle Ganga ≈ 1082 km Haridwar to Varanasi
C. Lower Ganga ≈ 1134 km Varanasi to Ganga Sagar
Middle Segment & Pollution Sources:
 Substantial portion of the river flow is diverted to support
agricultural activities through system of canals.
 Particularly the confluence of Ramganga and Kali also bring in a
lot of domestic/industrial pollution load beside augment the flow of
river.
 Mixed/domestic discharges by several towns situated on the river
bank and agricultural activities contribute to the point and non-
point pollution load in this segment of Ganges.

9. Ma Ganga : Pollution Sources
Localized Sources:
 Encroachment of river bed,
 gravel/sand mining, riverbed farming,
 Active netting of fish, open defecation, Cattle wallowing etc.
 In many places dumping of solid wastes including floral
offering and other materials used for religious purposes,
 Washing of clothes,
 Wallowing of animals,
 Throwing un-burnt/partially burnt dead bodies
Activities adversely affect aesthetics, water quality
and aquatic life.

10. Ma Ganga : Central Government Initiatives
 After the past attempts like Ganga Action Plans: Phase I (GAP I) and
Phase II (GAP II). Recently, the central government has constituted
National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) as a planning,
financing, monitoring and coordinating authority for effective
abatement of pollution and conservation of the river Ganga.
 For the prevention and management of the above adverse impacts on
river and riverbanks in such towns in the Ganga river basin, urban
river management plans are proposed through NGRBA.
 Zero discharge municipality/city concept (i.e. completely prohibit the
disposal of treated or untreated wastewater into surface water
bodies) needs to be implemented in the Ganga Basin by recycling and
reusing of treated effluent for ‘non-potable, non-human contact’ uses
within the municipality/city.

11. Ma Ganga : For AVIRAL DHARA
 In order to reduce substantial expenditure on long distance
conveyance of sewage as well as treated water for recycling,
decentralized treatment of sewage is advisable.
 All new developments must build in water recycling and zero liquid
discharge systems.
Salient Features of Recommended STPs
Continuous measurement of flow at the inlet and outlet
Excellent preliminary treatment
Treatment up to tertiary level
Online bioassay test
Pumping and STPs to be taken together for contracting/bidding
(Report Code: 003_GBP_IIT_EQP_S&R_02_Ver 1_Dec 2010)

12. Urban River Management Plans(URMPs)
Salient Features
 Riverbank beautification and development.
 Open defecation, disposal of solid waste, dhobi ghats, etc. should
eventually be banned in both public and private lands on the
riverbank.
 Provisioning for diversion of all sewage flowing into the river
through, i) large and small ‘nalas’, and ii) sewers, to sewage
treatment plants.
 All new/renovated sewage treatment plants must be designed to
treat sewage up to tertiary levels.
 Storage, Transport and Reuse Infrastructure for Treated Water.
(Report Code: 002_GBP_IIT_EQP_S&R_01_Ver 1_Dec 2010)

13. Wastewater Reuse :Public Perception!
Can we accept such water ?
(Which has been in contact with human wastes irrespective of the
highest degree of treatment provided to the wastewater.)
This kind of system may have its own problems in a country like
ours. Gardeners, servants, etc., may drink non-potable supplies
regularly, out of ignorance.
Po et al. (2004) suggested that people may perceive reusing
wastewater too risky because
i) the source of this water is not natural,
ii) it may have potential to harm people,
iii) there might be unknown future consequences of reusing wastewater,
(v) the quality and safety of the water is not within their control.

14. STATUS OF ALLAHABAD CITY
(WASTE WATER TREATMENT)

15. Proposed
Proposed
ETPs established and
proposed at Allahabad

16. STPs

17. Municipal Waste Water Status
Main Tapped Nalas
Ghaghar Nala: 42.5ML/D
Chachar Nala: 53.7ML/D
Morigate Nala: 38.7ML/D
Rajapur Nala: 52.1ML/D
Salori Nala: 21.0ML/D
Kodra Nala: 14.0ML/D
Ponghat Nala: 10.3ML/D
Total 232ML/D
Existing Sewage Treatment
Plants
Naini STP: 80 ML/D
Salori STP: 29 ML/D
Rajapur STP: 30 ML/D*
Kodra STP: 25 ML/D
Numayadahi STP: 50 ML/D
Ponghat STP: 10 ML/D
Total 224 ML/D

18. STPs Constructed under GAP I & II
 Based on diffused aeration activated sludge process technology.
Naini STP – 60+20 mld
 Disinfection facility in terms of
Chlorination has been provided.
 Treated waster of Naini STP is
partially used for irrigation and
balance is discharged in
Ganga(D/s Sangam).

19. STPs Constructed under GAP I & II
 Principled on Moving Bed Biological Reactor(MBBR)/(FAB) technology.
 Disinfection in terms of
Chlorination has been provided
in reactor itself.
 Treated water of Salori STP is
directly discharged in
Ganga(U/s Sangam).
Salori STP -29 mld

20. Rajapur STP Under Jnnurm
 Situated on the bank of river Ganga
in Mehdauri Kachhar.
 Based on UASB + Aerated Lagoon
followed by Chlorination Technique.
 30 mld has been made operational
before Kumbh Mela 2013.
Rajapur STP – 60 mld

21. Numaya Dahi STP Constructed Under NMCG
 Situated on the left bank of river Yamuna
about 7 km u/s of the city.
 Based on high rate bio-filtration followed by
diffused aeration activated sludge process.
 Chlorination through Chlorine Contact Tank.
Numayadahi STP – 50 mld

22. Ponghat STP Constructed Under NMCG
 Situated on the right bank of river Ganga in North – West
of city.
 STP is based on high rate bio-filtration followed by diffused
aeration activated sludge process with Chlorination facility
for disinfection.
 Made operational before Kumbh Mela 2013.
Ponghat STP -10 mld

23. Kodra STP Constructed Under NMCG
 Situated on the right bank of river
Ganga in North – West of city.
 Based on high rate bio-filtration
followed by diffused aeration activated
sludge process & chlorination for
disinfection.
Kodra STP -25 mld

24. Decentralized Sewerage Treatment in Allahabad
Compact Sewage Treatment plants
• Institutions- University, Engineering, Medical colleges
• Railway, Defense establishments
• Hotels(>20 beds), Banquets, Guest houses
Settling pit with oil/gas & ss removal arrangements
• Automobile Service Stations(2 wheeler, 4 wheeler)
!Progress: HRI, G.B. Pant So. Sc. Inst., Veer Automobiles!
Compelled in Future for Reuse/Reclamation!

25. Recommended Initiatives in Allahabad
Unauthorized disposal of solid waste:
 Prevented through river front and beutification project.
Wallowing of cattle:
 1 km from the river bank should be declared as restrictive zone.
 Tabella’s to be removed in phase wise from nearby areas.
To prevent washing of clothes:
 Total number of 05 dhobi ghats are proposed.
Open defecation:
 Total 143 community toilets are approved for the city.
Disposal of corpses:
 Free cremation service thorough conventional wood
pyre/improved electronic crematoria.
Floral offerings:
 Mass awareness.

26. Comment on Disinfection !
 Secondary wastewater treatment techniques adopted under
River Action Plan are vastly ineffective in removing microbial
pollution. (Report Code: 023_GBP_IIT_EQP_ANL_01_Ver 1_June 2012)
 The disinfection methods might generally be applied to the
treated sewage effluent which meets certain quality reqments
in terms of suspended solids, organic contents, etc.
 Disinfection proves to be ineffective in sanitizing secondarily-
treated sewage effluent due to the presence and interference of
particle associated microorganisms in general, particle-
associated coliforms (PACs) in particular with the disinfection
process (Oliver and Cosgrove, 1975; Severin, 1980; Ho and Bohm, 1981; Qualls et al.,
1983; Darby et al., 1995; Emerick et al., 1999; 2000).
 Chlorine dose applied is more than prescribed norm it is
harmful to aquatic flora and fauna.
Situation warrants adapting tertiary level of treatment
of wastewater

27. Waste Water Treatment Scheme
Process chain for waste water treatment

28. Stage I- Preliminary Treatment
Expected effluent quality after preliminary treatment:
 No floating materials including polythene bags, small
pouches, etc.
 Proper collection and disposal of screening and grit.
a) Three Stage Screening: -
- 25 mm bar racks (before pumping)
- 12 mm bar racks
- 5 mm mesh
b) Followed by Grit Camber

29. Stage II- Primary and/or SecondaryTreatment
These options can be grouped into following three
categories:
A) Activated Sludge Process (ASP) and its Modifications,
Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR), UASB/TF followed
by ASP, ASP with Biological Nutrient Removal
(ASP+BNR) and Moving Bed Biological Reactor
(MBBR) or
B) Pond Based Systems i.e. Waste stabilization Ponds or
C) Membrane Bio Reactor (MBR)
Expected effluent quality after primary and secondary treatment:
 BOD < 30 mg/L
 SS < 20 mg/L

30. Stage III -Tertiary Treatment
o Coagulation-flocculation-settling followed by filtration
and disinfection is generally recommended.
o Multiple disinfection process in the treatment chain
may be adopted.
o Other processes could be selected on the basis of
land availability, cost considerations. However,
disinfection operation should invariably be included.

31. Exhibit 1: Conventional Activated Sludge Process
Merits
Good process flexibility
Reliable operation
Proven track record in all plant sizes
Less land requirements
Low odor emission
Energy production
Ability to withstand nominal
changes in water characteristics
Limitations
High energy consumption
Skilled operators needed
Uninterrupted power supply is
required
Requires sludge digestion and drying
Less nutrient removal

32. Exhibit 2: MBBR – Moving Bed Bio-Reactor
Merits
Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor needs
less space since there is no primary
clarifier and detention period in reactor is
generally 4-5 h.
Ability to withstand shock load with
equalization tank option
High operator oversight is not required
Limitations
High operating cost due to large power requirements
Not much experience available with larger capacity plants
Skilled operators needed
No energy production
Effluent quality not up to the mark in India
Much less nutrient removal
Designed criteria not well established

33. Exhibit 3: SBR – Sequencing Batch Reactor
It is a fill-and-draw batch aerobic suspended
growth (Activated Sludge) process. After
screening and de-gritting, sewage is fed to the
batch reactor. Reactor operation takes place in
certain sequence in
cyclic order and in each cycle, following
operations are involved
Anoxic Filling tank
Aeration
Sedimentation/clarification
Decantation Sludge withdrawal
Merits
Excellent effluent quality
Smaller footprint because of absence of clarifiers and digester
Biological nutrient (N&P) removal
High degree of coliform removal
Less chlorine dosing required for post disinfection
Limitations
Comparatively high energy consumption
To achieve high efficiency, complete automation is required
Highly skilled operators needed
Uninterrupted power supply required

34. Exhibit 4: UASB followed by ASP
Merits
Relatively simple operation and
maintenance
No external energy requirement and
hence less vulnerable to power cuts
No primary treatment required
Energy production possible but generally
not achieved
Low sludge production
Limitations
Post treatment required to meet the effluent standard
Anoxic effluent exerts high oxygen demand
Large Land requirement
More man-power require for O&M
Effluent quality is not up to the mark and poor fecal and coliform
removal
Foul smell and corrosion problems around STP area
High chlorine dosing required for disinfection.
Less nutrient removal

35. Exhibit 5: Membrane Bio Reactor
Merits
Low hydraulic retention time and hence
low foot print (area) requirement
Less sludge production
High quality effluent in terms of low
turbidity, TSS, BOD and bacteria
Stabilized sludge
Ability to absorb shock loads
Limitations
High construction cost
Very high operation cost
Periodic cleaning and replacement of membranes
High membrane cost
High automation
Fouling of membrane
No energy production

36. Exhibit 6: Waste Stabilization Pond
Merits
Simple to construct and operate and maintain
Low operating and maintenance cost
Self sufficiency, ecological balance, and
economic viability is greater
Possible recovery of the complete resources
Good ability to withstand hydraulic and
organic load fluctuations
Limitations
Requires extremely large areas
Large evaporation loss of water
If liner is breached, groundwater is impacted
Effluent quality may vary with seasons
No energy production
Comparatively inferior quality of effluent
Less nutrient removal
High chlorine dosing for disinfection
Odor and vector nuisance

37. Exhibit 7: CW - Constructed Wetlands
Merits
Simple to construct and operate and
maintain
Low operating and maintenance cost
Self sufficiency, ecological balance, and
economic viability is greater
Possibility of complete resource recovery
Good ability to withstand hydraulic and
organic load fluctuations
Limitations
Requires large area
Large evaporation loss of water
Not easy to recover from massive upset
If liner is breached, groundwater is impacted
Effluent quality may vary with seasons
No energy production
No nutrient removal
Odor and vector nuisance
Loss of valuable greenhouse gases to the
atmosphere
 Wetlands are shallow ponds comprising of submerged plants and
floating islands of marshy species.
 Thick mats of vegetation trap suspend solids and biological
process takes place at the roots of the plants.
 Wetland process have not yet established compared to other
processes.

38. Bottlenecks in Reclamation & Reuse
 Public health concerns
(i) Biological risks due to presence of microbial pathogens and
indicators like enteric bacteria, virus and protozoa and helminths.
(ii) Chemical risks due to presence of various emerging contaminants
like pharmaceutically-active compounds (PhAC), endocrine
disrupting compounds (EDC) and hormones.
 Research is warranted on the potential public health impacts due to
the presence of microbial pathogens and emerging contaminants, if
any, in highly reclaimed wastewater before reuse.
 Difficult to implement due to the large number of end users, the
vicinity to the public, relatively high cost due to complex
distribution and treatment systems as well as potential risks of
accidental public exposure in the case of cross-connections in dual
supply systems.

39. Possible Solutions : Reclamation, Reuse
 Separate distinct treatment chain should be adopted based on the
water quality requirements for each of the intended purpose of
wastewater reuse.
 Highly reclaimed wastewater reuse schemes should be included
and promoted as an alternative source of water for non-potable
non-human contact uses (except food industry) : Landscape
irrigation, fire protection, air conditioning, toilet flushing,
construction water & flushing of sanitary sewers.
 Reclaimed water can be applied to wetlands for a variety of reasons
including recreation, restoration and enhancement of habitat
 Irrigation with highly reclaimed water should be promoted in the
entire Ganga Basin
 Awareness campaign, workshops, conferences on the potential
benefits of wastewater reuse should be conducted in order to
promote wastewater reuse

40. Actual Fact!
“Water pollution has not been adequately addressed in
any policy in India, both, at the federal & provincial level”
(CAG Audit Report)
“ I think water and sanitation are not getting the attention
they deserve because they are not sexy! On the contrary,
satellites, computers, software and industrial growth are
sexy!”
(Dr Sam Pitroda)

41. Thank You