Directions: Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.
Concerned over a large quantity of sewage sludge being generated every day, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has prepared a detailed advisory for its safe disposal and reusing and to promote off-take of treated sewage slush.
The advisory contains details of design and cost of solar greenhouse dryer, which is used to enhance the quality of the bio-solids from the processed slurry extracted during treatment of wastewater and faecal sludge.
The officials said that the aim is to promote safe practices in handling the sludge, achieve acceptable quality of bio-solids for safe reuse and disposal, promote responsible management of faecal or sewage sludge from treatment plants and save time for drying of the sludge.
“Large quantities of sludge are generated each day which require its safe disposal and reuse. It is, therefore, imperative to adopt appropriate economical and safe practices to move towards the larger goal to reduce and reuse for a healthy and unpolluted environment,” read the draft of the advisory, formulated by the Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organisation.
The body is the technical wing of MoHUA. It not only supports the ministry in policy formulation but also handholds states through technical advice, scrutiny and appraisal of schemes and propagation of new technologies in the field of water supply and sanitation.
According to the August 2022 report of Niti Aayog, Urban Wastewater Scenario in India, estimated wastewater generation in India is approximately 39,604 Million Litres per Day (MLD) in the rural regions. However, urban centres generate 72,368 MLD wastewater and only 28 percent is treated. Another study suggests that daily faecal sludge generation in the country is 1.20 lakh tonnes.
The advisory is divided into nine chapters on the need for drying of sludge to make it suitable for its reuse, popular sludge dewatering techniques, techniques for elimination of pathogenic micro-organisms from the sludge, and working principles of SGHD such as their operation and maintenance.
The advisory is expected to assist in wide utilisation of biosolids in agricultural farms as a soil conditioner.
Wastewater generation
According to the August 2022 report of Niti Aayog, estimated wastewater generation in India is approximately 39,604 Million Litres per Day (MLD) in the rural regions. However, urban centres generate 72,368 MLD wastewater and only 28 percent is treated. Another study suggests that daily faecal sludge generation in the country is 1.20 lakh tonnes.
[Excerpt from The New Indian Express "Sewage Sludge Management and Reuse in India" Dated 30/01/25]
Q1: How much wastewater is generated daily in urban areas of India?
(a) 50,000 million litres
(b) 72,368 million litres
(c) 100,000 million litres
(d) 39,604 million litres
Ans: (b)
Sol: Urban centres in India generate 72,368 million litres of wastewater daily.
Q2: What percentage of wastewater in urban areas is currently treated?
(a) 15%
(b) 28%
(c) 50%
(d) 75%
Ans: (b)
Sol: Only 28% of wastewater in urban areas undergoes treatment.
Q3: What is the estimated daily faecal sludge generation in India?
(a) 80,000 tonnes
(b) 100,000 tonnes
(c) 120,000 tonnes
(d) 150,000 tonnes
Ans: (c)
Sol: India generates approximately 120,000 tonnes of faecal sludge daily.
Q4: Why is safe disposal and reuse of sewage sludge important?
(a) It prevents groundwater depletion
(b) It eliminates the need for wastewater treatment
(c) It helps remove harmful contaminants while utilizing nutrients
(d) It reduces electricity consumption
Ans: (c)
Sol: Sewage sludge contains heavy metals and pathogens, but also valuable nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus, making safe reuse beneficial.
Q5: How many chapters does the advisory on sewage sludge management contain?
(a) 5
(b) 7
(c) 9
(d) 12
Ans: (c)
Sol: The advisory consists of nine chapters covering sludge drying, treatment techniques, and reuse methods.
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