<p>Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited, Project Implementation Directorate (PID) organized an interaction program on Process, Operation and Maintenance of Guheshwori Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), on March 25. &nbsp;</p> <p>Participants included Secretary of the Ministry of Water Supply Dipendra Nath Sharma, international wastewater expert Dr Rajendra Bhattarai, Joint Secretaries Tej Raj Bhatta and Anil Bhadra Khanal, General Manager of KUKL Dr Mahesh Bhattarai, Executive Director of Kathmandu Valley Water Supply Management Board Dr Sanjeev Bickram Rana, Project Director of PID Tiresh Prasad Khatri, Deputy Project Director Milan Kumar Shakya, PID&rsquo;s Project Manager Surat Kumar Bam, engineer Kishor Panthee and representatives of VA Tech WABAG, the contractor building the WWTP at Guheshwori. &nbsp;</p> <p>The issues raised during the interaction included environment-friendly aspects of the WWTP, sludge management, measures to make the WWTP safe for visitors, capacity enhancement of KUKL staff to make them able to operate the WWTP in future, energy generating capacity of the WWTP, additional power required to operate it, consequences of delays in the arrival of water from the Melamchi and how the discharge of 375 litres of water/sec treated at the WWTP will have positive impact on environmental flow of the Bagmati river downstream of Guheshwori. &nbsp;</p> <p>International expert Dr Bhattarai described the Guheshwori treatment plant as a &lsquo;gold-plated treatment plant&rsquo; listing features like anaerobic digester, odor control and tertiary treatment. He pointed the need for KUKL to develop institutional capacity to operate the plant, as the contractor will hand it over after operating it for 10 years.</p> <p>He also pointed the need for anti-corrosive measures at the plant. &nbsp;Secretary Sharma said he will take initiatives for providing grant to KUKL till it adjusts water tariff, pointing that urban poverty should be taken into account during tariff adjustment. Sharma pointed that WWTPs under construction in the Kathmandu Valley will cover 40 per cent of the valley population in five years. Sharma highlighted the need to involve KUKL human resources from the construction phase of WWTPs to enhance their operational capabilities through knowledge/technology transfer. &nbsp;He thanked the PID for organizing the program by looking into possible challenges in the operation of WWTP.</p>