India faces an urgent call to action as the National Green Tribunal (NGT) reveals that only 56 percent of sewage treatment plant (STP) capacity is being utilised across 31 states, posing significant environmental and health risks
In a recent report, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) highlighted a critical issue: only 56 percent of the 1,261 sewage treatment plants (STPs) across 31 states are being utilised despite their combined capacity. This underutilisation threatens both the environment and public health.
The onus is on the states to ramp up their efforts in implementing the AMRUT 2.0 scheme, launched in 2021. This scheme, which aims to boost sewage treatment capacity by 5,791.94 million litres per day (MLD) and extend the sewerage network by 29,105 kilometres, is a crucial step towards addressing the underutilisation of sewage treatment plants.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) initially set discharge standards for STPs in 1986 and updated them in 2017 to ensure more rigorous control of pollutants. Despite these regulations, Andhra Pradesh has exceeded its STP capacity utilisation mandate, achieving 473.77 percent against the required 91 percent.
The MoHUA is committed to providing essential sanitation services, but the responsibility of planning, designing, executing, and operating these projects falls on state governments and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). The AMRUT 2.0 scheme remains a critical component of this mission, with significant investments aimed at resolving the persistent issue of sewage overflow and underutilisation of treatment plants.