Azernews.Az

By Leman Mammadova

The pollution of sea water and the deterioration of ecological condition is one of the most important issues of the recent period among the Caspian Sea problems.

The wastewater, mostly formed in rural and urban settlements without sewerage, is often discharged into the sea through lakes and ponds.

The construction of a drain line to the sea, as provided for by the “Project for the construction of a sewage treatment plant in Pirshagi,” has been completed.

The drain line is one of the most important parts of the Pirshagi wastewater treatment plant construction project, which is ongoing near the settlement of Pirshagi. The cleaning capacity of the plant is 40,000 cubic meters per day.

A line of steel pipes with a diameter of 1,600 millimeters and a length of 1,700 meters has been built to drain purified water into the deeper waters of the sea in order to maintain the environmental stability of the Caspian Sea.

The line was installed at the construction site of Neftgaztikinti trust of State Oil Company SOCAR, which specializes in laying submarine pipes and protecting metal structures from corrosion.

About 90 percent of the work at the Pirshagi wastewater treatment plant has already been completed.

The Government of Azerbaijan funds the project together with the Export-Import Bank of South Korea.

South Korean Export-Import Bank allocates $43.5 million to finance the Pirshagi wastewater treatment project. The rest of the project totaling $64.2 million is funded by the Azerbaijani government.

Wastewater will be treated in three stages. The complex will prevent the discharge into the Caspian Sea of wastewater generated in the vast territory in the northeast of the Absheron Peninsula. Wastewater from the settlements of Kurdakhani, Pirshagi, Mashtagha, Bilgah, Nardaran, Mahammadi, Digah, Mehtiabad, Goradil, Fatmai and Novkhani will be treated here.

In 2016, Azersu OJSC, a company that provides potable water supply and sanitation services across Azerbaijan, signed a contracting agreement with South Korean company Hansol EME Co LTD on installation of the waste-water treatment equipment in Pirshagi settlement.

Azerbaijan is cooperating closely with foreign companies and international organizations, including SUEZ Group, IsDB (Islamic Development Bank) etc., to reconstruct the water supply and sewage systems.

The projects are of particular importance in terms of ensuring the environmental safety of the Caspian Sea.

Azerbaijan’s major industrial potential is concentrated in the Absheron Peninsula, which includes more than 200 lakes with an overall area of 3,325 hectares.

The large-scale measures taken in wastewater management in Azerbaijan contribute to the environmental protection and improve the quality of life in the country.

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Leman Mammadova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @leman_888

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