Question : Waste Water Management

(a) whether there are huge opportunities in infrastructure development for water supply and waste water management; and
(b) if so, the details thereof and the present status thereon?

ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANGA REJUVENATION

(PROF.SANWAR LAL JAT)

(a)& (b) Yes, Madam. As per the Census 2011, only 70.6% of urban population has Tap water supply across the country; 62.0% of it is from treated sources and 8.6% is from untreated sources. As far as status of waste water management is concerned only 32.7% of urban households are connected to a piped sewer system; whereas 38.2% dispose of their wastes into septic tanks, 8.8% households are having pit latrines and 1.7% of households are having other latrines. About 18.6% urban households still do not have access to individual toilets.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has assessed that out of 38254 Million Litres per Day (MLD) of sewage generated by class I cities and class II towns, only 11787 MLD was treated thereby leaving a huge gap between sewage generation and sewage treatment. CPCB has reassessed the sewage generation and treatment capacity for urban population of India for the year 2015. The sewage generation is estimated to be 62000 MLD approximately as against the sewage treatment capacity of only 23277 MLD from 816 Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs). CPCB has issued directions, Under Section 18(1)(b) of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 for making it, mandatory for local/urban bodies to set up STPs of adequate capacity to bridge the treatment gap. As far as possible, the treated effluents are to be recycled / reused for the non-potable use. The above mentioned gaps in Water Supply and Waste Water Management provide huge opportunities for infrastructure development for urban local bodies in particular and State Governments in general.
*****