Bioremediation trial launched for Leg-II drain
- Haryana State Pollution Control Board said April 28 it will start a two-month bioremediation trial in Gurugram’s 16.5-km Leg-II drain with civic agencies. - Officials said microbes or enzymes will be added at high-pollution points to cut organic waste, as the drain’s biochemical oxygen demand stands at 115 mg/l. - The pilot follows a March cleanup review tied to Yamuna revival and tighter drain enforcement. (hindustantimes.com)
Gurugram is starting a two-month bioremediation trial in its Leg-II drain, with Haryana’s pollution board using microbes or enzymes to try to lower pollution. (hindustantimes.com) The Haryana State Pollution Control Board said the 16.5-km drain runs from Sector 42 to Sector 107 through Huda City Centre. It has directed the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority to carry out the exercise. (hindustantimes.com) Bioremediation means adding living microbes, or enzymes made from them, so they break down organic waste in dirty water. The board said it will test the method at high-polluting points and increase sampling during the trial. (hindustantimes.com) The drain matters beyond Gurugram because it flows into the Najafgarh drain and then reaches the Yamuna downstream of the Wazirabad barrage. That puts a local stormwater channel inside a larger river-pollution fight affecting Delhi’s waterway. (hindustantimes.com) Officials said the drain now carries effluent from 237 industries, including 7.46 million liters a day of treated discharge and 46 million liters a day of untreated discharge. Its biochemical oxygen demand, a standard measure of organic pollution, is 115 mg/l. (hindustantimes.com) The same review found 20 discharge points releasing 78 million liters a day that authorities expect to tap and disconnect by June. Eight other points discharging 32 million liters a day have already been diverted, officials said. (hindustantimes.com) Regional officer Akansha Tanwar said long-term use of bioremediation will depend on the trial results. She also said industries found illegally releasing untreated water into drains face regular inspections and possible closure orders. (hindustantimes.com) The trial follows a March 27 review meeting led by Haryana pollution board member secretary Yogesh Kumar, who ordered faster drain cleanup and new operating procedures for stormwater drains and sewer lines. He also told officials to map all Phase II pollution points within three months. (hindustantimes.com) A 2025 Haryana progress report for the Yamuna action plan said Gurugram still had a 45 MLD sewage-treatment capacity gap at the time, even as more capacity was planned. That helps explain why drain interception and cleanup are being pushed alongside treatment-plant fixes. (hspcb.gov.in) For now, the test is narrow: one drain, 60 days, and heavier sampling to see whether microbes can bring down pollution at the worst points. If the numbers improve, officials have said the method could shape cleanup work in Legs I, II and III. (hindustantimes.com)
