Malappuram: A municipal wastewater treatment plant that has remained defunct since its inauguration in 2020 is poised for revival, following the District Planning Committee’s (DPC) approval of an upgrade project.

Under the sanctioned plan, ₹50 lakh has been earmarked from the Central Finance Commission (CFC) tied grant to modernize the facility, located inside the municipal bus stand compound. Additionally, ₹50 lakh from the CFC basic grant has been allocated to procure two tanker trucks, one to transport wastewater to the facility and another to supply treated water for reuse.

The plant, constructed at a cost of ₹35 lakh, was inaugurated on January 4, 2020, during the tenure of the 2015–20 municipal council. It was intended to process wastewater from local hotels and an adjoining public toilet complex, recycling it for construction and other non-potable purposes. However, the facility was commissioned without essential components, notably an oil-and-grease separator unit required to treat commercial kitchen effluents, leaving the plant completely idle from the outset.

A subsequent technical evaluation by an accredited government agency estimated that installing an oil separator and allied mechanisms would cost around ₹25 lakh.

With funding now sanctioned, municipal authorities aim to operationalize the facility within the current financial year. The project will proceed to technical vetting, followed by the tendering process to select an implementing agency.