NIT Rourkela Develops New Wastewater Tech for Dhobi Ghats

Researchers at the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Rourkela have designed a nature-based wastewater treatment innovation targeted towards revitalising India's “dhobi ghats” and protecting urban water bodies, according to officials.

- Press Trust Of India

Dhobi ghats, traditional laundry spaces, still serve as socioeconomic support in many Indian cities.

Due to acute water shortages, and drying borewells, the availability of open water has become very limited. Simultaneously, untreated laundry wastewater, laden with synthetic detergents, dyes, and microfibres, contaminates rivers, lakes, and wetlands, exacerbating water scarcity and harming aquatic ecosystems.

To address this challenge, the innovative setup designed by NIT Rourkela research team has created a low-cost, chemical-free, and energy-independent wastewater treatment solution -- Constructed Wetland-Microbial Fuel Cell (CW-MFC) System -- by merging wetland plants, engineered filtration layers, and electricity producing microorganisms.