India has about 12600 MLD of sewage treatment capacity: Centre in Lok Sabha
West Bengal has the lowest STP capacity (108.3 MLD) among large states, while Gujarat has the highest capacity at 2769.14 MLD.
The central government has built 12,599.28 MLD (megalitres per day) of sewage treatment capacity through sewage treatment plants (STPs) across states and Union Territories under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) 1 and 2, the Centre informed the Lok Sabha on Thursday. Of these, nearly a fourth (3,531.52 MLD) of the treated sewage is fit for recycling and reuse.
Union minister of state for housing and urban affairs (MoHUA) Tokhan Sahu made the announcements while responding to a question by Congress MP Sanjna Jatav on MoHUA’s awareness regarding STPs that primarily focus on treating wastewater to a level suitable for discharge into water bodies without harming the environment rather than purifying it for the drinking purposes.
Sahu said that MoHUA also launched ‘Jal Hi AMRIT’ initiative under AMRUT 2.0 to incentivise states and UTs to efficiently manage STPs for recyclable treated water, meeting environmental standards on sustained basis. The focus of this initiative is to build capacity and incentivising qualitative improvements in the treated discharge effluent.
Combining AMRUT 1 and 2, West Bengal, which has been at loggerheads with the Centre over various central missions and schemes, has the lowest STP capacity (108.3 MLD) among large states, while Gujarat has the highest capacity at 2769.14 MLD.
Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June 2015, AMRUT focuses on water supply, stormwater drainage and sewage infrastructure, besides also looking at sustainable mobility and increasing recreational and green areas within cities. Since October 2021, AMRUT 2.0 has focused on universal water supply coverage in all statutory towns and 100% sewage treatment in 485 AMRUT cities.
