Natural grass can treat sewage water, say scientists

Hyderabad: Forget the complicated sewage treatment plants (STP); simple grass can actually purify sewage water. Scientists have found that wetlands grown with para grass and elephant grass can remove nitrates and sulphates, the two major pollutants of sewage water, when water is retained in them for a certain period.

With this finding, Dr Shakeel Ahmed, team leader of researchers from the Indo French Centre for Groundwater Research (IFCGR) at the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) suggested that small wetlands with para grass and elephant grass can be used as mini STPs.