Biological Treatment of Sewage Water by Reed Bed Technology - a Case Study of Corporate Sector of India

Treatment of waste water like industrial effluents and sewage is a major problem being faced by corporate sector in India. Traditionally most of the corporate sector in India did not care to treat such effluent and used to release it, directly in nearby rivers. Of the late, due to major policy shift in industrial licensing policy, corporate sector have now started treatment of industrial waste before releasing the same in rivers. Even now, household sewage generated from the large residential colonies of these corporate houses is being left at the disposal of municipal authorities. When such industries are required to be established at the interior places outside the municipal limits, then treatment of sewage is still an enigma faced by these corporate sector. Gagal unit of Associated Cement Companies Limited (ACC Ltd.) has adopted the Root Zone Technology for treatment of sewage water. Root zone technology in essence, is nature's answer to the modern industrialized world's water pollution problems. Reeds are wetland plants which develop extensive network of rhizomes. When these plants are raised in specially designed beds and waste water is released in these beds, it provides eco-friendly mode of waste water treatment. This paper analyses as how Gagal Unit of ACC Ltd. put in use this technology successfully to treat household waste water and how they manage other related issues of waste water treatment by adopting the Root Zone Technology.