OREANDA-NEWS. Today on 21st April, 2015 India enters into a new era of utilizing advanced technology of Radiation Processing for Hygieniesing Sewage Sludge by signing of MoU between Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. Bhabha Atomic Research Centre will provide all technical and scientic support for setting up a 100 tons per day dry sewage sludge hygienisation Cobalt -60 Gamma Irradiation Plant at Ahmedabad. Largely, sludge is disposed in unoraganized manner resulting in environmental pollution and spread of diseases.

The sludge produced carries a heavy microbiological load and therefore its disposal has been a challenge to the urban development authorities. Bacterial counts including pathogens generally observed in sludge can vary between 105 to 109 per gram. Sludge also contains worms, ova, viruses, helminthes, weeds etc. It also contains toxic heavy metals and organic pollutants like pesticides, polyaramatic hydrocarbons, drugs and other persistent pollutants. Sludge is a rich source of many macro (Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium),micro nutrients (Zinc, Iron, Copper, Manganese) and organic carbon essential for soil. If the sludge can be treated in effective and economic way to meet the prescribed norms, it can be recycled by safely applying it on land for various applications including agricultural. High energy gamma radiation from Cobalt-60 can kill pathogens, reduce odours and degrade organic chemival contaminants and thus making sludge safer for use or disposal. With this initiative of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and Bhabha Atomic Research centre, a beginning is made to utilize advanced technology for hygienising sludge for cleaner India (Swachcha and Swastha Bharat).

The MoU is signed by Smt. D. Thara, Municipal Commissioner, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation on behalf of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and Dr. K.L. Ramakumar, Director, Radiochemistry and Isotope Group on Behalf of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in the presence of Dr. Lalit Varshney, Head, Radiation Technology Development Division, Shri G. Ganesh, Head, TT&CD and other senior officials from Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation.