Will the Minister of HOUSING AND URBANAFFAIRS be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has declared any policy for sludge management in the country;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government has any plan for creation of right infrastructure for sludge management that works in those communities;
(d) if so, the details in this regard; and
(e) the goal/achievement achieved under Open Defecation Free in urban areas in the country?
THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS
(SHRI HARDEEP SINGH PURI)
(a)&(b) Yes, Sir. Government of India has issued a National Policy on Faecal Sludge and Septage Management (FSSM) in February 2017 for urban areas. The key objective of the Policy is to set the context, priorities, and direction for, and to facilitate, nationwide implementation of FSSM services in all Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) such that safe and sustainable sanitation becomes a reality for every household, street, town and city. Among others, the key objectives of the National FSSM Policy are to:
(i) Mainstream FSSM in urban areas by end of 2019, and ensure that all benefits of wide access to safe sanitation accrue to all citizens across the sanitation value chain with containment, extraction, transportation, treatment, and disposal/re-use of all faecal sludge, septage and other liquid waste and their by-products and end-products.
(ii) Suggest and identify ways and means, including the methods and resources, towards creation of an enabling environment for realizing safe and sustainable FSSM in India.
So far, 19 States/Union Territories (UTs) have formulated their policies either for wastewater reuse or FSSM or both. Out of these 19 States/UTs, 11 States/UTs namely Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, Maharashtra, Telangana, Daman & Diu, Gujarat, Karnataka have notified their FSSM policies.
(c)&(d) Sewerage and septage management is one of the thrust areas under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT).Out of the approved State Annual Action Plans (SAAPs) worth Rs.77,640 crore for 500 Mission cities under AMRUT, Rs.32,456 crore (42%) has been allocated for creation of infrastructure for sewerage and septage (faecal sludge) management.
(e) The Government has targeted to make all urban areas of the country Open Defecation Free (ODF). Out of 4,378 cities in the country, 4,124 cities have been declared ODF till10 December, 2018.
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