‘Dry testing of STP at Kedar concludes, facility operationally ready’

Dehradun: The Rudraprayag district administration informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that the construction of a Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) at Kedarnath has been completed, and the facility is operationally ready. In an affidavit submitted to the tribunal for the hearing on Friday, officials said that dry testing of the plant has been successfully conducted, confirming its functional readiness ahead of the upcoming yatra season.District magistrate Prateek Jain, in his report, said, "Household sewage connections are currently being linked to the main network. Along the Mandakini river stretch, sewerage pipelines have been laid over approximately 400 metres. The sewerage line from the bridge area to the STP, covering around 585 metres, has also been completed.""Along the Saraswati river alignment, pipelines have been laid adjoining already constructed buildings over a stretch of about 170 metres, and newly built public infrastructure has been connected to the main sewerage line," he mentioned in the report.Officials added that the remaining connections are proposed to be completed before the commencement of the ensuing yatra season, and that new structures are being provided with corresponding sewerage linkages.The affidavit also highlights the establishment of 19 Material Recovery Facility (MRF) centres within Kedarnath's municipal limits. The primary facility, spread over approximately 3,000 square feet, has a processing capacity of three tonnes per day and a storage capacity of around 50 tonnes. It is equipped with a compactor and baling machine for handling, compressing and disposing of non-biodegradable solid waste in accordance with scientific waste management practices.The centre is fully operational and is being used for managing municipal solid waste generated at Kedarnath Dham, officials said. Authorities claimed that these measures would significantly reduce sewage discharge into the Mandakini and help address pollution concerns in the area.The matter remains sub judice before the NGT.Petitioner Abhisht Gupta said effective on-ground implementation would be key. "All of these efforts will have meaning only if the STP is fully utilised, waste management remains efficient, and every structure in Kedarnath is connected to the sewerage network. We still need to address issues of plastic waste and dumping along the mountain slopes," he said.