Hyderabad tests Japanese Bio-Lace technology to clean polluted nalas
HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) is considering deploying Japanese Bio-Lace technology in polluted nalas across the city after a pilot project reduced organic pollution by 90%.
HMWSSB and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) jointly implemented the first-of-its-kind project in India. The 1 MLD pilot plant at the Sewerage Treatment Plant in Fatehnagar demonstrated an energy-efficient and sustainable way to treat polluted flowing drain water.
During a review meeting with JICA representatives, HMWSSB Managing Director K Ashok Reddy said the pilot delivered encouraging results. Officials reported a 90% reduction in biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and an 85% reduction in total suspended solids (TSS). The system also treated the water without using chemical additives.
Technology needs less power and land
Officials said the Bio-Lace system uses less than half the electricity required by conventional sewage treatment plants. It also occupies only 10-20% of the land needed for traditional plants. In addition, it produces much less sludge and operates without chemical dosing.
Developed in Japan, the Bio-Lace technology has helped restore more than 400 rivers and waterways. Hyderabad is the first city in India to test the technology for treating polluted flowing drain water. Japan-based TBR Co. Ltd. executed the pilot project.
Expansion depends on detailed assessment
Ashok Reddy said the pilot significantly improved water quality and showed the technology’s potential to reduce pollution in urban drains. He directed officials to conduct a detailed technical evaluation before expanding the project. He also asked them to obtain an assessment from the Pollution Control Board.
Reaffirming the State government’s goal of preventing untreated sewage from entering the Musi River, Ashok Reddy said HMWSSB is working to treat 100% of Hyderabad’s sewage. The initiative follows the directions of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy.
“We are moving fast towards achieving this objective next year,” he said. He added that the Water Board is also exploring the use of Bio-Lace technology directly in flowing nalas and streams.
