Here’s a shocking statistic: Only 35 per cent of Tamil Nadu’s urban population is covered by an underground sewerage system. The appalling condition of sanitation facilities in the state is well known by now.
The state government recently released operative guidelines for septage management which points out that many local bodies don’t even have the capacity to create and manage assets for treatment of liquid waste. Besides this, there is underutilisation of existing sewage treatment plants, and untreated waste is discharged into fresh water bodies. According to the 2011 census, 55 per cent of the state’s population disposes waste into septic tanks, many of which are not designed properly, resulting in sewage not being treated effectively and leading to faecal contamination.
When septage flows out of septic tanks and enters waterways or is disposed into the nearest water body or low lying areas, it leads to serious health and environment issues. “Septage management needs well-defined guidelines,” says Suresh Kumar Rohilla, programme director, Urban Water Management, Centre for Science and Environment.
The state government guidelines list measures such as construction of more tanks, revamping septage transportation and treatment facilities, and sensitising the public on the issue. However, it does not seem to have been documented with any degree of forethought, says Kannan Pasupathiraj, environmental engineer and MD of Klaro India.
Control mechanisms to regulate sewage treatment and disposal of treated sludge safely from commercial and large dwelling units need to be in place. According to the guidelines, commercial complexes and residential complexes with more than 75 dwelling units should have functional sewage treatment facilities. “Regulators need to focus on creating functional sewage treatment systems and not just insist on septic tank designs. The designs in the guidelines lack scientific approach. The septic tank is designed for toilets alone and not for other waters in a home. So, where is all the other water going?” asks Pasupathiraj.
Rohilla says the indiscriminate disposal of domestic wastewater is the main reason for degradation of water quality in urban areas. “Access to improved sanitation in urban India has risen, but the management of onsite systems such as septic tanks remains a neglected component of urban sanitation and wastewater management.”
Although guidelines are in place, monitoring is absent, says Divya Narayanan, consultant, India Water Portal. “There is an urgent need to upgrade the design technology of septic tanks and come up with better ways to re-use treated water. Also, civil society needs to be more involved. People are usually not willing to pay for such services, but when usage is made expensive, saving will take place automatically,” she says.
Architect and urban planner Durganand Balsavar says septage management needs a broader, holistic approach. “First disseminating awareness on appropriate design, safety, hygiene and risks; second emphasising on recycling water; and third, encouraging local enforcement and conducting periodic inspections.
The timeframe laid out in the TN guidelines for local body to meet certain obligations appears impractical, says Pasupathiraj. Adequate research does not appear to have gone into the TN septage guidelines. And solutions might well remain out of reach if they are not revisited.
