NIT Rourkela researchers design nature-based wastewater treatment system for Dhobi ghats

Rourkela: Researchers at the National Institute of Technology ( NIT ), Rourkela , have developed a new nature-based wastewater treatment system that could help revive traditional dhobi ghats and reduce pollution in urban water bodies.

Dhobi ghats remain an important source of livelihood in many Indian cities. But shrinking water availability and the widespread discharge of untreated laundry wastewater have created serious environmental challenges. Detergents, dyes and microfibres often end up in rivers and lakes, worsening water scarcity and damaging aquatic ecosystems.

To tackle this, a team at NIT Rourkela has designed a low-cost and chemical-free solution known as the Constructed Wetland-Microbial Fuel Cell system. The setup combines wetland plants, filtration layers and elect