Gujarat HC orders upgrade of Vasna and Vinzol STPs with ₹168 crore contract

Gujarat High Court has ordered the Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC) to upgrade its outdated sewage treatment plants (STPs) in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) regarding the pollution of the Sabarmati River.

The High Court reprimanded the AMC for its inaction and directed the corporation to give a contract worth over ₹168 crore to Dharpur Engineering Services Pvt Ltd for the upgrade of the 240 million litres per day capacity STP at Vasna and the 70 million litres per day capacity STP at Vinzol.

The STPs, which are based on outdated technology, have been failing to meet the environmental parameters set by the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The treated water from these plants has been found to exceed limits for Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), and Total Organic Carbon (TOC).

The upgrade of the STP at Vasna is estimated to cost ₹118.95 crore, while the upgrade of the STP at Vinzol will cost ₹49.87 crore. The High Court’s intervention is a significant step towards addressing the pollution of the Sabarmati River and improving the environmental health of Ahmedabad.

The project project will include an 18-month construction phase and a five-year operation and maintenance contract. Additionally, Saaket Project Ltd will be awarded a contract worth ₹18 lakh to assess the efficiency of all nine STPs operated by the AMC.

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‘Only paper work, no action’, Guj HC rebukes AMC for Sabarmati pollution