Bansberia Wastewater Treatment Plant, Hooghly District, West Bengal

The Bansberia wastewater treatment plant is located in the Kolkata Metropolitan Area, within the Hooghly district of West Bengal, India. It serves a small community of 2,004 people, reflecting its role in managing local domestic sewage. The plant is operational and discharges 300 cubic meters of treated wastewater per day. The plant provides primary treatment, which involves physical processes like sedimentation to remove solids. For a facility of this scale in India, primary treatment is common, though regulatory standards under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, may require higher levels depending on the receiving water body. The plant operates within India's national framework for wastewater management, which emphasizes compliance with discharge standards set by state pollution control boards. The treated effluent is discharged into the local drainage system, which ultimately flows into the Hooghly River, a distributary of the Ganges. The Hooghly River supports diverse aquatic life and is a vital water source for the region. The plant's location in the Ganges basin highlights its importance in reducing pollution loads to this major river system.

The plant discharges into the Hooghly River, a major distributary of the Ganges, which flows through West Bengal and into the Bay of Bengal. The Hooghly River supports a rich ecosystem, including fish species and migratory birds, and is crucial for agriculture and drinking water. The Ganges basin is ecologically sensitive, and primary treatment helps reduce but does not fully eliminate pollutants, emphasizing the need for ongoing monitoring.