Leh, June 13: In a significant move to strengthen environmental protection and sustainable urban development in Ladakh, Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has approved the construction of a Decentralised Sewerage Treatment Plant (DSTP) in Leh at an estimated cost of ₹9.12 crore.
The project aims to prevent untreated wastewater from entering rivers and drainage channels, while improving sewage management in the ecologically sensitive Union Territory.
According to officials, the DSTP will treat sewage close to its source, reducing dependence on large sewer networks and preventing untreated wastewater and faecal sludge from contaminating water bodies.
The Lieutenant Governor has granted administrative approval and expenditure sanction for the project, with an initial allocation of ₹1.80 crore to the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department for commencement of work.
Officials said the decentralised treatment model will support river rejuvenation, water recycling and reuse, reduction of environmental and health hazards, and efficient land utilisation. The approach also eliminates the need for extensive land acquisition and costly centralised treatment infrastructure.
Highlighting the importance of the initiative, LG Saxena said environmental conservation and sustainable urban growth must go hand in hand in Ladakh. He described decentralised sewerage treatment as an innovative and environmentally responsible solution that will help protect rivers, improve public health and preserve the region’s fragile ecosystem.
The proposed facility at Agling-1 (Camp 6 and 7) will serve a current population of around 915 residents and is designed to cater to a projected population of 1,464 people over the next 15 years.
The plant will have a treatment capacity of 200 kilolitres per day (KLD) and will use a Portable Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) Package Plant, a technology considered well-suited to Ladakh’s unique climatic and geographical conditions.
The project also includes the construction of a 3.2-kilometre gravity sewer network, a one-lakh-litre collection tank, and restoration of roads affected during infrastructure development.
Treated wastewater from the facility will be reused for landscaping and other suitable purposes in the lower areas of the Abi Canal, promoting water conservation and sustainable resource management in the cold desert region.
