WABAG to ensure water security for the farmers of West Bengal, India through USHAR MUKTI Project in partnership with Bharat Rural Livelihoods Foundation (BRLF). The USHAR MUKTI Project is a collaborative initiative of WB-MGNREGA, BRLF, WABAG and local CSO partners to implement watershed projects covering six districts of West Bengal.

An MoU was signed with WABAG and BRLF (An independent, not-for-profit society set up by the Govt. of India) during Nov 2017 to develop the watersheds across six districts of West Bengal i.e. Purulia, Bankura, Jhargram, Birbhum, Paschim Medinipur and Paschim Bardhaman. The project will impact over 5 lakh people of 10091 villages across all the 6 districts.

This project focuses on the water and soil conservation strategies by adopting a ridge to valley approach which leads to the restoration of rivers and its catchment area, while mitigating the impact of climate change. It also seeks to develop a climate resilient community, improve the existing farm management practices, generate additional and alternative sustainable income.

WABAG committed CSR investment of Rs.2.50 crores to this project spread over a period of 4 years.

The Consulting Engineers Association of India presented the Professional Excellence Award 2018 to Mr Rajiv Mittal on 8th July 2019 at New Delhi, in recognition of his outstanding professional career spanning over three decades, dedicated to the water industry with a special focus on sustainability, and as Managing Director and Group CEO of VA Tech WABAG Limited, a pure play Water Technology Multinational headquartered at Chennai.

Mr Mittal has advocated sustainable use of water; leveraging alternative sources of water such as sea water & used water; efficient wastewater treatment, water recovery and reclamation. He has also been very vocal in promoting advanced technologies for water treatment solutions for municipalities and industries at an affordable price and is a pioneer in building water neutral and power neutral plants both in India and abroad.

WABAG secured INR 1,477 Crore worth order from State Mission for Clean Ganga – Uttar Pradesh towards Operation, Maintenance and Management of the Sewage treatment and network infrastructure in the cities of Agra and Ghaziabad for a period of 10 years, expandable for an additional period of 5 years.

WABAG will manage, operate and maintain 22 Sewage Treatment Plants, 22 Pumping Stations and underground network of over 3,000 kilometers with the objective of providing round the clock uninterrupted operations. WABAG shall also improve, rehabilitate and up-grade facilities related to systems, structures and equipment etc. associated with the Sewage Treatment Plants and underground collection systems.

Commenting on this order, Mr. Pankaj Sachdeva, CEO – India Cluster said, “This is a proud moment for WABAG, as we have been recognized as a competent technology partner for providing long-term sustainable solutions by the Government through the One City – One Operator model. Such long-term orders provide annuity income which helps us with improved cash flow and better revenue predictability. With our rich experience of managing over 120 sewage treatment and pumping units with a sewage load of 4000 MLD and a population of 16 Million people in the city of Istanbul, Turkey, we are confident of making this new initiative in India a success and a model that can be replicated across the country.”

Commenting on this order, Mr. Mohamed Shaffi, Chief Business Officer, (O&M) said, “The One City – One operator in India marks a paradigm shift in the sewage management sector with single point ownership & accountability. WABAG which is currently operating more than 65 O&M contracts globally and backed by its skilled workforce is best placed to efficiently execute this contract. This contract will ensure treatment of over 650 MLD in both cities of Agra and Ghaziabad put together, adhering to national treatment standards thus providing cleaner and healthier eco system to the 3 million population of Agra and Ghaziabad. WABAG is proud to play a significant part in the rejuvenation of river Yamuna, as this will ensure treatment of over 80% of the sewage generated in both the cities.”

WABAG signed the concession agreement for an INR 575 Crore contract under the prestigious Namami Gange programme. The agreement was signed between NMCG, KMDA and WABAG in the august presence of Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Hon’ble Minister of Jal Shakti, Shri Rattan Lal Kataria, Hon’ble Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Shri U P Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Mr Asok Kumar, Executive Director Projects, NMCG, Mr Sanjay Bansal, CEO, KMDA & Mr S Varadarajan, Director and Chief Growth Officer, Mr Rajneesh Chopra, Global Head, Business Development and Mr Swadhin Samantaray, Head Global Capital Projects representing WABAG.

The scope of the contract includes Engineering, Supply and Construction of new Sewage Treatment Plants, Renovation and Up-gradation of existing Sewage Treatment Plants, Rehabilitation of pumping stations and other associated infrastructure in the Bally, Arupara and Baranagar areas of Kolkata. Speaking on this occasion, Mr Swadhin Samantaray of WABAG, said “We are delighted to sign the concession agreement for our breakthrough HAM order and embark on our mission to ensure an uninterrupted (aviral) and unpolluted (nirmal) Ganga. The project is one of a kind, bundling sewage treatment infrastructure along with green power generation and operation & maintenance for 15 years in a single package, aimed at ensuring single point accountability and long-term sustenance. Once completed, the project with a cumulative wastewater treatment capacity of 187 MLD will contribute to reducing the discharge of untreated sewage into the Holy Ganga from the state of West Bengal by around 15%.”

Reinforcing WABAG’s commitment to the Namami Gange mission, the recent order will help WABAG cumulatively purify over 100 crore liters of sewage every day which used to get discharged into River Ganga and its tributaries. The projects earlier entrusted to WABAG include nine wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) along the entire Ganga Belt to reduce pollution from both municipal and industrial segments; rehabilitation of two WWTPs in Uttarakhand of 45 MLD, four WWTPs in New Delhi with a capacity of over 700 MLD, the 1st Industrial Effluent Treatment Plant of 20 MLD under Namami Gange at Kanpur, the 1st and largest WWTP of 140 MLD to be executed under Namami Gange at Varanasi, one WWTP of 60 MLD and a sewerage scheme in Bihar comprising a 21 MLD pumping station and a 97 km pipeline.

Water and Sanitation is not just about ensuring supplies and building toilets. It is about bringing awareness to change the biases and irrational behaviour of human beings. WABAG in association with our NGO partner Janaagraha designed and implemented awareness programmes for the students of selected Bangalore schools on the theme water and sanitation to catalyze behavioural changes.

The programme was designed to develop awareness on best hygiene practices and conservation of natural resources. The project was implemented in two different phases

• Understanding of water supply, treatment and conservation through classroom sessions
• On boarding citizen engagement and on boarding corporate employees

Under the guidance of BWSSB(Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board) Chairman Mr. Tushar Girinath (IAS) and other BWSSB officials the content modules were designed for class room sessions. A total of 1,602 students from 17 schools in attended the classroom sessions through 18 different sessions.

After successful completion of the classroom session, experiential field trips were organised to Sewage Treatment Plants and the Rain Water Harvesting Centres for all the students. The students were really excited to see the live operations of the plants and to interact on various aspects with the plant managers.

WABAG won two prestigious Global laurels at the Global Water Summit – 2019 held in London. The distinction award under “Wastewater Treatment Plant of the Year” category was bestowed upon the 40 million liters per day (MLD) Madinat-Salman WWTP at Bahrain while the 54 MLD IOCL Paradip ETP and Water Recycling Plant at Odisha received the Highly Commended Award under “Industrial Water Project of the Year”.

Mr Rajneesh Chopra (Global Head – Business Development) receiving the award on behalf of WABAG

Madinat Salman WWTP is a sustainable wastewater model for Bahrain, one of the most rapidly growing economic hubs in the middle-east. With 1.3 million people housed in an area of 710 square kms, it has one of the highest population density rates in the world. The ease of doing business index in Bahrain also attracts immigrants from across the globe further necessitating the presence of a sustainable water infrastructure. WABAG is proud to have built this comprehensive wastewater management model for our client Ministry of Housing, Kingdom of Bahrain, which will ensure a cleaner and healthier environment required to enhance productivity and propel economic growth for Bahrain.

This plant will be serving the city of Madinat Salman and its 100,000 citizens. The plant is built on the idea of resource recovery, thus promoting ecofriendly wastewater treatment, that is sewage as a resource rather than a liability. Not only does the project enable reuse of the treated wastewater but also provides an answer to the issue of sludge management by thermally drying and packaging the digested sludge to supply to the local farmers.

The IOCL Paradip ETP is a comprehensive water management model for an integrated refinery complex of IOCL, achieving a high water recovery rate of 80%. The ETP is one of the largest industrial water recycling plant in India which saves water up to 14,500 MLD of fresh water extraction every year. For an extensive water management system, the plant is equipped with advanced technologies like multi-stage effluent treatment, water recycling and state-of-the-art sludge management. By treating complex cocktail of effluents to a reusable standard, the plant cuts the dependency on external water sources and thus plays a significant role in Environmental Protection.

The global awards presented to WABAG by Global Water Intelligence (GWI) are the testaments to WABAG’s commitment to the well-being of millions of people around the globe. Conceptualization of such water management models will be integral to achieving the sustainable development goals set by United Nations. We take this opportunity to thank all our business associates for helping us achieve this global laurels.

WABAG under its CSR program has designed and built a drinking water treatment plant in Chennai for Voluntary Health Services (VHS), a multi-specialty hospital & research institute in Chennai, which has been serving the needs of the under privileged for over 60 years as a non-profit healthcare service provider.

The 600 litres per hour RO plant is developed to cater to drinking water needs of various divisions of the hospital like Operation Theatre, Senior Citizen Centre, Eye Department, Diabetic Department and Admin Block. More than 1000 patients, doctors and staff members are benefited from this project on a daily basis.

Commenting on this project, Dr. S. Suresh, Honorary Secretary, Voluntary Health Services said, “At VHS, availability of ready access to drinking water has always been a critical challenge. Also, considering the hospital arena, access to consistent and clean drinking water becomes a foremost necessity for our day-to-day operations. Understanding our dire need of drinking water, VA Tech WABAG took the initiative to build a water treatment plant for which we are extremely thankful to the company. With this initiative, VA Tech WABAG has significantly contributed in its efforts to ensure the well-being of thousands of people.”

The easy to maintain facility has enabled a continuous supply of purified drinking water in all floors across different departments at VHS Hospital. Besides, elderly and aged residents of the senior citizens’ centre at VHS have also been benefited by this initiative.

WABAG secured INR 575 Crore worth order under the prestigious National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) Scheme to Design, Build, Rehabilitate and Operate Sewage Treatment Facilities and associated infrastructure in Kolkata, West Bengal.

Commenting on this order, Mr. S Varadarajan, Whole-time Director and Chief Growth Officer said, “We are delighted and proud to have secured our breakthrough HAM order under the prestigious Namami Gange Program and this win reinforces our commitment to ensure water security for the nation by partnering with the Government initiatives. Once completed, the project with a cumulative wastewater treatment capacity of 185 MLD will contribute to reducing the discharge of untreated sewage into the Holy Ganga from the state of West Bengal by around 27%”.

Reinforcing WABAG’s commitment to the Namami Gange mission, the flagship program of our Hon’ble PM, the recent order will help WABAG cumulatively purify over 90 crore litres of sewage every day which used to get discharged into River Ganga and its tributaries. The projects earlier entrusted to WABAG include eight wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) along the entire Ganga Belt to reduce pollution from both municipal and industrial segments; rehabilitation of two WWTPs in Uttarakhand of 45 MLD, three WWTPs in New Delhi with a capacity of over 650 MLD, the 1st CETP of 20 MLD under Namami Gange at Kanpur, the 1st and largest WWTP of 140 MLD to be executed under Namami Gange at Varanasi, one WWTP of 60 MLD and a sewerage scheme in Bihar comprising a 21 MLD pumping station and a 97 km pipeline.

The latest contract from Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority, funded by NMCG includes Engineering, Supply and Construction of new Sewage Treatment Plants, Renovation and Up-gradation of existing Sewage Treatment Plants, Rehabilitation of pumping stations and other associated infrastructure.

The project will be executed on Public Private Partnership basis under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM). WABAG will execute the treatment plants along with a resource recovery mechanism to produce power from bio-sludge in line with India’s green power vision and further operate & maintain them over a period of 15 years.

WABAG, under its sustainable CSR practices ensured livelihood for 250 farmers through restoration of traditional irrigation system at Killai Village, Chidambaram Taluk, Cuddalore District, Tamil Nadu (India) partnering Hand in Hand India, a public charitable trust.

The project was the brainchild of Agricultural Engineering Department and was entrusted to WABAG by the then Collector, Thiru T P Rajesh Kumar, I.A.S. has been successfully implemented and dedicated to the Killai farmers at a special function on 23rd February 2019. This has brought about a remarkable change in the underground water level and also marked improvement in the economic health and environmental aspects of Killai village.

The Initial Situation

The SokkanOdai – the canal system was almost silted and become defunct, mostly due to the 2004 Tsunami and 2015 unprecedented floods, also due to neglect of maintenance. Siltation and almost complete erosion of bunds rendered the large area of paddy fields on either side of the canal was flood prone as there were no other ways of draining out the excess water. The condition of the canal was getting worse every year and the community was not in a position to take up the massive work of desilting as their livelihood and economic conditions were already deteriorated.

Mr Valiayapathy, a farmer in the canal ayacut – he and other farmers could not ensure crop maturity as the water carrying capacity of the canal was reduced to about 10 percent. Burdened with debt due to crop failure and unable to find alternate livelihood despite owning a few acres of land, farmers migrated to cities and neighboring states and worked as laborers.

Farmers like Mr Sivanesan left farming and became a taxi driver, or coolie at construction sites.

WABAG’s Interventions

This project aimed to restore traditional irrigation through structural renovation in Sokkan Odai with the objective of facilitating sustainable crop production in both flood and drought situations. The interventions included channel de-silting, deepening and widening wherever necessary, providing pipe outlet – inlets on the Canal banks, formation of sunken ponds for water storage and bio mass production on the canal banks.

Project Impact

WABAG CSR intervention benefited around 250 Killai farmers covering 350 hectares of farmland across six villages. Owing to the restoration, there has been a reverse migration to the village and 20 acres of land that were lying fallow for the last 5 years, have been brought under cultivation.

The Killai village community has got access to sustainable crop production during both flood and drought as a result of restoration of traditional irrigation canal as well as drainage system in ‘Sokkan Odai’ a distributary Channel of the Khan Sahib canal. The restoration comprised de-silting of 4.3 kms. stretch through channel de-silting and excavation of 19716 cu.m. of silt, installation of 64 pipe outlets on channel banks; 10 dug-out sunken ponds for water storage, planting of Vetriver as soil binders and biomass plantation (gliricidia) on the channel banks.

Ensuring Project Sustainability

As part of Sustainability Plan, SokkanOdai Conservation Committee has been formed consisting of beneficiary farmers to ensure the upkeep of the canal with the technical guidance of Hand in Hand India. The Committee will maintain a separate bank account towards the contributions from the farmers for this purpose.

WABAG Presence in Cuddalore District

This is the 4th CSR project implemented in Cuddalore District – two major projects before CSR law came into force and two after the legal mandate. Soon after Tsunami tragedy, WABAG designed, built and donated a Drinking water treatment plant at MGR Thittu, Killai village to meet the urgent drinking water needs of the Killai village. Secondly, WABAG in partnership with an Austrian NGO, built a Community Centre at Mudasalodai village. Thirdly, during July 2017, based on the assessment, WABAG renovated two major tanks in Adivarahanallur and Thethampattu villages, Cuddalore District as Watershed Development Plus projects for the benefit of the villagers.

Since its inception WABAG has been marching forward with the vision of providing “sustainable solutions for a better life”. WABAG has always lived up to its promise and practice of sustainability by touching millions of lives across the globe every day.

In recognition of our sustainability initiatives, Water Digest presented WABAG with two prestigious awards:

• BEST WATER TREATMENT PROJECT – INDUSTRIAL (For the ETP and Tertiary Treatment Facility at Reliance C2 complex, India)
• EXCELLENCE AWARDS FOR BEST CSR IN WATER SECTOR (For commitments beyond business)

at the Water Digest Water Awards 2018 -19 held on 28th February 2019 at New Delhi, India.

On behalf of WABAG, Mr Rajneesh Chopra (Global Head – Business Development) received the awards from Shri U. P. Singh, Hon’ble Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation.