Noida: Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA) has decided to set up a sewage treatment plant (STP) on the Hawaliya drain, which meets the Hindon river near Momnathal village, in an effort to curb one of the river’s most persistent sources of pollution.Stretching nearly 13km from Surajpur, an industrial zone, the drain carries untreated domestic sewage and industrial effluents from 33 outfalls before emptying into the Hindon, which further meets the Yamuna. National Green Tribunal (NGT) and Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board have repeatedly flagged the drain as a major contributor to the river’s deteriorating water quality.Last year, the tribunal and the UPPCB directed Greater Noida Authority to install an STP at the confluence to arrest rising pollution levels in the Hindon. Acting on the directive, the Authority has now issued an Expression of Interest (EoI) to appoint an agency for the project. The EoI document notes that rapid urbanisation over the past decade has placed severe pressure on Greater Noida’s natural drainage network and wastewater management systems. The agency selected to build the STP will be responsible for identifying and evaluating solutions for rejuvenating the drain.The project aims to improve water quality, enhance hydraulic efficiency, boost flood resilience and restore the drain’s ecological health and visual appeal. Officials said their team would soon visit the confluence site, conduct a study, submit a report on the STP’s required capacity, and draw up budget estimates for the project. Currently, the drain is unable to handle its intended volume, causing backups, surcharging, and flooding during heavy rain. It also sees a continuous inflow of untreated wastewater, accumulation of solid waste and degraded aesthetics. These conditions have not only worsened pollution levels but also increased flood risks and undermined the drain’s environmental sustainability.While the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) permissible limit for biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) in treated effluent is 30 mg per litre, samples from the Hawaliya drain show BOD levels of 48 mg per litre. Chemical oxygen demand (COD), which should ideally range between 250 and 500 parts per million (ppm), has been recorded at 288 mg per litre. BOD is a key indicator of oxygen depletion in water bodies, with high levels often leading to hypoxic conditions that can kill fish and other aquatic life. Elevated BOD typically points to biodegradable organic pollution from untreated sewage and industrial waste. COD, meanwhile, measures the overall load of sewage and industrial effluents, with higher values signalling more severe contamination.Officials said the drain’s extensive network of outfalls continues to add to the pollution load. “Of the 33 outfalls along the 13km stretch, three are currently dry, while the remaining discharge untreated or partially treated wastewater. This continuous inflow has led to a steady deterioration of water quality and environmental conditions along the drain and in downstream areas,” an official said.An NGT document shows that the drain receives untreated domestic sewage from Surajpur village as well as treated industrial effluent from Surajpur Industrial Area Sites B, C and V. Several local drains, including Lohiakhar Nala, Palla Chithehara Nala, Dhoom Dujana and Sadopur drains, also discharge into Hawaliya near Surajpur wetland.In addition, domestic sewage from Udyog Vihar, Udyog Kendra, Ecotech-I, Industrial Area Site IV, Udyog Vihar Extension, Gamma-1, Knowledge Parks 1, 2 and 3, and Sectors Omega-2, Omega-4, P-3 and P-4 is treated at Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA) STPs. The treated effluent from these facilities enters Hawaliya drain near Kasna village before the drain finally meets the Hindon at Gharbara.
