Himalayan Mountaineering Institute establishes Darjeeling's first ever STP

New Delhi, 16 Oct (IANS) The Himalayan Mountaineering Institute has established Darjeeling's first ever Sewage Treatment Plant (STP). It is named Swachhata Se Samriddhi and it can treat 1,000 litres of wastewater per day. 

This capacity is equivalent to treating 365 kilolitres of wastewater annually. The treated water is repurposed for toilet flush systems, ensuring sustainable waste management within the institute.

Additionally, the Institute has constructed a rainwater storage plant with a capacity of 1.8 lakh litres, significantly reducing reliance on external water sources.

According to the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute also exemplifies the ethos of sustainability by transforming damaged mountaineering gear, such as shoes and ropes, into decorative pieces, highlighting the innovative spirit of recycling and environmental stewardship.

MoD's Special Campaign 4.0 on Swacchata has extracted revenue to the tune of 3.6 crore by disposing more than 30,000 MT unserviceable scrap of under this campaign. On Wednesday, MoD informed that as part of the pan-India Swachhata Abhiyan initiative, it has successfully covered 2,705 sites out of 3,832 locations, creating positive impacts across the country.

As on October 15, 2024, over 20,976 physical files have been reviewed, leading to the weeding out of 5,391 files and freeing up 195k square feet of valuable area. Revenue generation of Rs 21.1 lakh has been achieved through the disposal of scrap materials and obsolete IT equipment.

The sites include those under Military Hospitals, Controller General of Defence Accounts, Border Roads Organisation, Indian Coast Guard, National Cadet Corps, Sainik Schools, Canteen Stores Department, Cantonments along with the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Uttarkashi and Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling. This year, a remarkable eight lakh square feet of area is anticipated to be freed after the disposal of scrap and other redundant materials.

An MoD official said that the cantonments have been at the forefront of the campaign and carried out initiatives like mosquito-breeding eradication campaigns and organised waste segregation workshops for local communities in coordination with volunteers. Garbage Vulnerable Points (GVPs) have been transformed into plantation sites, along with enhancing public spaces with dry-leaf composting initiatives in parks.