From Sewage Point to Selfie Point in Lucknow

From Sewage Point to Selfie Point in Lucknow

October 10, 2018

LUCKNOW: Today saw the historic and pivotal inauguration of a innovative, simple and effective Physico-Chemical Remediation Treatment System using Geotube Technology at the Kukrail Nala, Lucknow with the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Mahant Shri Yogi Adityanath​ji, Hon’ble Union Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari​ji, with the inspiration, suggestion and divine vision of HH Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji​, President of Parmarth Niketan, Hon’ble Minister of Urban Development, Govt of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Suresh Khanna BJP​ji, Hon’ble Minister for Technical Education & Medical Education, Govt of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Ashutosh Tandon (Gopal Ji)​ji, Chief Secretary Uttar Pradesh, Shri Manoj Kumarji, Shri Rajneesh Mehra, CEO of Ingeo Private Ltd & many other dignitaries and urban local leaders.

Saddened to see the ailing condition of the National River Ganga and the sewerage drains defiling her life-giving waters, Pujya Swamiji pledged to find a solution to the pollution threatening one of the world’s most sacred rivers. He invited all sorts of technologies and solutions in many International and National level conferences and finally decided to create pilot plans for such viable technologies that could visibly clean the wastewater going into Mother Ganga.


At a fraction of the cost of centralised Sewerage Treatment Plant, the Physico-Chemical Remediation Treatment System using Geotube Technology became the first place to start. Pujya Swamiji who had been saving and planning to build an ashram for international and national pilgrims in Devprayag decided to utilise these funds to not build the ashram but to invest in technology that would abate the pollution going into our holy river. He shares that this to him was the real pooja and worship. He envisioned sewage points to become so clean and pleasant that they become transformed by this technology into selfie points- he termed the phenomenon “From Sewage to Selfie Point,” creating with it much enthusiasm and zeal amongst the masses to adapt and understand the initiative in a simple way.

The first pilot plan was inaugurated by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Shri Trivendra Singh Rawatji, undertaken in the Chandrabagha Nala in Rishikesh, by the Global Interfaith WASH Alliance, Ganga Action Parivar- Parmarth Niketan, together with Flexituff International Limited & Ingeo Contractor Private Ltd, as the technology and implementation partners.

After extensive talks with the Hon’ble Chief Minister Mahant Shri Yogi Adityanathji it was decided that the next and the first pilot plan in Uttar Pradesh would be undertaken at the Kukrail Nala in Lucknow.


The in-situ technology set up in a course of a week in Lucknow first chemically coagulates the solid from the liquid part of the wastewater, then pumps the water through large Geotube membranes that further trap the solid waste and sludge treating the water to some 80-90%. The treated water showed a reduction of 98% in Total Suspended Solids (TSS) and brought a BOD 86 mg/L to only 6 mg/L, wherein the NMCG standards for bathing water is 30 mg/L.

Said Pujya Swamiji, “The need of the hour is to become a bridge and serve to convert places of waste and filth into places of wealth and faith.Let us make our sewage points selfie points.The government is working on the grand plan for the thousands of nalas (drains) going into the River Ganga but we, individual, institutions, industries, and all stakeholders, can come together to take care of the ground plan. Let us turn our greywater into green and clean water.”


He added, “I appreciate the great leadership and commitment of our Hon’ble Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and our Hon’ble Shri Nitin Gadkariji in showing their interest and support to these efforts that can illustrate instant results of visibly clean water. I appeal to everyone to come together to clean our rivers and once and in for all free them from the filth that we have defiled their sacred waters with. Their waters liberate us but time has come that we have to liberate them from our pollution, over-extraction and over-exploitation and the time is NOW.”

Explaining the significance of these efforts Pujya Swamiji shared that we took sacred Ganga Jal and made it into polluted Ganda Jal or greywater but now its time to treat and transform this greywater so that it can again be utilised for our irrigation, industries, the two greatest sources of water consumption, and for our daily uses. This will save the waters of the sacred River Ganga and in turn help to recharge our ground water stores. Even the sludge from the water, once freed from heavy metals, can be used as potent fertilizer for our farms and the solid waste, mostly plastic, choking our rivers can be reused and recycled for our roads and other needs. He emphasised that this technology will proof to be a “Miracle of the Century” transforming waste into wealth.


He shared that the next sewage to selfie point would be coming up in Har Ki Pauri, Haridwar, in Allahabad ahead of the massive Kumbh Mela and hoped that with the active engagement and involvement of the government many more drains could be effectively treated.

Click here to see photos!

Share: