ISLAMABAD, July 7: The most controversial project of Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) has been completed and now all four of its components with a capacity to treat 17 million gallon per day (mgd) sewer water are operating.

However, Rs2.727 billion project is stated to be useless unless the existing sewers network is improved and the water being treated by the STP is used for different purposes including irrigation.

Under the project which was executed in 2005 and financed by France with Euro 19 million loan, three of its existing components (phases) were to be repaired and the fourth one was to be established.

“We are in the process of repairing underground sewer lines network and the entire work will be completed by the end of December,” Capital Development Authority (CDA) Director General (works) Abdul Jabbar Milano told reporters while giving them briefing on the project on Monday.

Although the STP that located in Sector I-9, close to Rawalpindi limits, has a capacity of treating 17 mgd sewer water, presently it is treating five mgd and the treated water is being spilled into Nullah Leh.

“We are not using such an ample quantity of treated water but preparing plans for its best utilisation,” the official said.

It has been observed that due to out of order sewer system and broken sewer lines a large number of people in Islamabad discharge waste water directly into natural streams polluting their water causing environmental degradation in the federal capital.

The CDA, he said, had launched a separate project to clean natural streams. In this connection all Katchi Abadis along them are being provided proper sewer system and people in other areas have also been directed to use Capital Development Authority sewer lines instead of discharging their waste directly into streams.

The CDA’s director STP, Shahid Sohail said the project would meet the requirement till 2010 and after that more STPs would be required keeping in view future expansion in Islamabad.

Mr Lashari favoured building smaller treatment plants that meet the requirements of two to four sectors and are connected together.

CDA sources said the French-assisted STP project was to be completed in 26 months but it was completed in 36 months.

The machinery was installed by French experts and civil work was executed by a local firm.

The sources said the existing three units of the STP were catering to old residential sectors while a fourth unit is treating sewer water being generated by new residential areas like D-10, D-11, E-10,E-11,E-12,F-10,F-11,G-10,G-11 and H-10.