Questions have been raised over the status of a sewage treatment plant set up to treat wastewater entering Guwahati’s Borsola Beel
A ₹5.37-crore sewage treatment plant set up as a pilot project to rejuvenate Borsola Beel in central Guwahati has come under scrutiny after residents raised questions over its functioning, maintenance and the non-supply of treated water promised for local use.
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The 2 MLD (million litres per day) Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB)-based sewage treatment plant was executed by the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) to treat sewage entering the Beel and improve the condition of the water body. Residents living around the facility, however, alleged that there has been little visible activity at the plant and that treated water has not yet been supplied for non-potable household purposes, as they were told.
The project was opened on July 7, 2025, at an estimated cost of ₹537 lakh. It was designed to intercept sewage from the drainage network covering eight municipal wards: 18 and 30 to 36; and treat around two million litres of wastewater daily before it enters Borsola Beel.
Borsola Beel is located in the central part of Guwahati city, approximately 750 metres south-west of Guwahati Railway Station. The wetland is surrounded by Rehabari to the north-east, Paltan Bazar to the north, Chatribari to the south and Chabipool to the south-east. Its location places it within a densely developed part of the city and makes it an important component of Guwahati’s urban drainage system.
The Beel forms part of the Bharalu drainage basin and is connected to the wider drainage network of the city. Water from Borsola Beel flows through sluice gates located on its southern side into the Bharalu river. From there, the water eventually reaches the Brahmaputra.
The treatment facility uses UASB technology followed by a trickling filter. The project includes an intercept and diversion arrangement for intercepting 2 MLD of wastewater, a gravity-flow DI pipeline, grit chamber and Parshall flume, equalisation tank, UASB reactor, trickling filter and a solarised sludge drying bed. The contractor for the project is listed as M/S Living Waterfine Technologies & Dritu Research and Technology LLP.
The project also included a public-use component under which treated water was expected to be made available to residents in the surrounding locality for non-potable purposes.
Residents, however, said they have not received the promised treated water and questioned whether the facility is being regularly operated and maintained.
One resident alleged that there had been little visible activity at the facility. While an excavator was occasionally used to remove garbage from the surface of the water, the resident said there were no visible signs of any substantial cleaning of the water body.
“The main gate remains closed. There is no security personnel, and no one is seen inside. The plant premises have become overgrown,” the resident told GPlus.
Another woman resident said locals had been informed that machinery had been installed and that treated water would eventually be supplied for washing clothes and utensils.
“We were told that the machinery had been installed and that treated water would be supplied for washing clothes and utensils, but we have not received it yet. We do not know what will happen in the future,” she said.
Residents also said the premises and areas around the facility have become overgrown. Some said they had not seen the machinery operating in recent months, while another recalled seeing the facility functioning around four to five months ago.
They also raised concerns over the condition of a large drain adjoining the facility, saying regular cleaning could help remove accumulated waste and reduce foul smell. Residents also expressed concern over stagnant and dirty water and the possibility of conditions conducive to mosquito breeding.
The concerns have prompted residents to seek clarity from the authorities on whether the plant is currently operational and how much wastewater it is treating. They also want to know whether the treated water meets the required standards and why the proposed supply to nearby residents has not begun. Residents called for regular maintenance of the plant premises and the area around the facility.
Meanwhile, the GMDA has indicated that the existing facility is set to be demolished, with the site handed over to the Jal Board for a new project.
Speaking to GPlus, a GMDA official said the land has already been transferred to the Jal Board and that the existing structure will be demolished before a new project is taken up at the site.
“We have handed over the land to the Jal Board. The existing structure will be demolished shortly, following which the Jal Board will take up a new project at the site,” the official said.
“GMDA has already issued the required No Objection Certificate (NOC) to facilitate the project,” the official added.
The GMDA official did not provide details on the reason for the proposed demolition of the existing facility.
The development comes just over a year after the sewage treatment plant was opened as a pilot project aimed at addressing sewage pollution in Borsola Beel. While residents have raised questions about the facility’s operation, maintenance and planned supply of treated water, the GMDA has now confirmed that the existing structure is slated for demolition and that a new project will be taken up by the Jal Board.
The status and performance of the earlier facility, including the extent to which it operated and treated wastewater after its commissioning, therefore remain matters requiring clarity as the site moves towards a new project.
