Centre to incentivise states to promote efficient reuse of water
Shortage of water especially in summers is common occurrence in Indian cities and experts advocate that efficient reusing of water can address these shortages
The Centre is set to incentivise states and Union territories to promote efficient reuse of water under an initiative, ‘Jal hi Amrit, under the AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation) 2.0 mission of the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs, officials familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.
It has been introduced as part of the 100-day agenda of Modi 3.0 government and is expected to serve as a platform for competition among the cities to ensure treated water meets environmental standards on a sustained basis and enable peer learning. A total of 140 sewage treatment plants (STPs) with a combined capacity of 5,000 MLD (million liters per day) have already been onboarded.
The rewards will be based on the performance of STPs under a clean water credit system framework which would be valid for six months. The quantum of money will vary based on the performance and the size of these STPs. The highest reward of ₹8 crore will be given for STPs of 100 and above MLD achieving a five-star rating while the lowest reward of ₹0.25 crore will be given for an STP with a capacity of less than 5 MLD and achieving a star rating of 3.
Officials said urban local bodies or parastatals such as Delhi Jal Board (DJB) will fill in details via an online module which will be followed by a third-party verification as done for Swachh Survekshan awards. Further the ministry would also carry out a detailed gap analysis and conduct targeted training programmes based on the assessments.
Shortage of water especially in summers is common occurrence in Indian cities and experts advocate that efficient reusing of water can address these shortages.
A study by think tank Council of Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) released in March found that more than half of 503 cities in ten states scored between 0.75 and 1.5 out of 5 when assessed on their used water management practices. The same month, the Union government through MoHUA announced ‘Peyjal Survekshan’ (PJS), comprising 129 individual awards, where cities will be judged on various aspects of urban water management. However, the programme was shelved without any clarification.
The multiple indicator survey (NSS round 78) in 2020-21 said 61.4% of urban households had piped drinking water supply. Most cities across India get water supply on an average for 6–8 hours, and women and children in urban slums walk for about 44 minutes on average to collect water, according to a 2020 study by researchers at the Madras School of Economics.