India has invested Rs 32,456 crores under the AMRUT scheme to bolster its sewerage infrastructure, resulting in the completion of 214 STPs with a total capacity of 4,174 MLD and the installation of approximately 18,000 km of sewerage networks
In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Housing & Urban Affairs, Mr TokhanSahu, has provided new insights into India's ongoing sewage management efforts.
His detailed update underscores the government's commitment to addressing the challenges of urban sanitation and highlights the significant strides being made to improve India's sewage treatment infrastructure.
Sanitation, a critical responsibility of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), is primarily managed by state governments. However, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) plays a pivotal role in bolstering these efforts by funding infrastructure projects, including sewage treatment plants (STPs) under various flagship missions.
According to the National Green Tribunal's (NGT) order from 18 May 2023, revised on 22 May 2023, India currently has a total of 1,261 STPs with a combined capacity of 30,001 million litres per day (MLD) across 31 states and union territories. However, only 56 percent of this capacity is being utilised for municipal sewage treatment. In Andhra Pradesh alone, 91 percent of the state's STP capacity is being utilised, reflecting a more efficient usage.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has set stringent discharge standards for these STPs, which were last updated in October 2017. These standards aim to regulate parameters such as pH levels, biochemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids, and faecal coliform.
Under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and its successor, AMRUT 2.0, significant investments have been made to enhance India's sewerage infrastructure. AMRUT has allocated Rs 32,456 crore to sewerage and septage projects, resulting in the completion of 214 STPs with a total capacity of 4,174 MLD and the installation of approximately 18,000 km of sewerage networks.
Launched on 1 October 2021, AMRUT 2.0 aims to further these efforts with a five-year plan running until 2025-26. To date, Rs 62,935.90 crore worth of projects have been approved, targeting the construction of 5,791.94 MLD sewage treatment capacity and 29,105 km of sewerage networks.