Irfan Tramboo
SRINAGAR, Apr 11: With the Government directing the Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) to install bio-digesters in 910 houseboats, the process is yet to take off as the Authority is yet to test the efficiency of bio-digesters that were installed last year under a pilot project.
Under a pilot project that was started by the LAWDA around 6 such bio-digesters were installed in different houseboats in September last year, however, an official told Excelsior that as the houseboats remained vacant, the installed bio-digesters could not be tested which resulted in further delay in the process of subsequently covering all the houseboats.
As per officials, certain parameters are to be checked to see whether the installed bio-digesters provided by the DRDO are efficient or not. “We have to see the range of pollutants in the bio-digesters, there is a particular range within which the pollutants should remain and only then, these bio-digesters can be okayed and later installed in other houseboats,” an official said.
Notably, the Government had recently directed the LAWDA to ensure the installation of bio-digesters in all the houseboats; however, the LAWDA said that it cannot go ahead without testing the bio-digesters installed under the pilot project, which it is expecting to test in the next 15 days.
The officials said that while the houseboats have off late remained vacant, and now with the tourists are coming to Kashmir and the houseboats also reporting occupancy, there are chances that the bio-digesters will be tested in the next few weeks provided the occupancy remains as per what is required.
Pertinently, there are also several other issues that are creating hurdles in the process of installing bio-digesters in the houseboats and one among them being the lack of space in several houseboats. However, the concerned department is eyeing to address that once it is done with the process gauging the efficiency of the already installed bio-digesters.
Also, the LAWDA as per the Court directions has installed bio-digesters under another pilot project in around 100 households of the Tailbal area, the sewage of which was ultimately released in the Dal, however, there also, the testing has not been carried out so far due to unknown reasons.
Notably, Bio-digester is a decomposition mechanised toilet system that decomposes human excretory waste and helps in the reduction of the pollutants which otherwise is directly released in the Dal Lake causing pollution.
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