Sewage Pipelines And Treatment Plants

Sanitation is a State subject and function of its Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and it is the responsibility of State/ ULBs to plan, design, execute and operate sanitation projects in the urban areas of the country including slums. However, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) supplements the efforts of the States/ ULBs in providing infrastructure for basic services such as sewerage infrastructure including Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) in urban areas through its various flagship Missions/ Schemes.

As per Hon’ble National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) order dated 18.05.2023 (revised on 22.05.2023) and based on the data of sewage as per report dated 12.02.2021 filed by the Central Monitoring Committee, headed by Secretary Jal Shakti, Government of India, titled ‘3rd quarterly report of the Central Monitoring Committee (CMC) in compliance of the order dated 21.09.2020’ in O.A. No. 593/2017, 30,001 MLD capacity of STPs (1261 nos.) is existing (in urban settlements) in 31 States/ UTs. Against the existing capacity, only 56% of the capacity is being utilized for treatment of municipal sewage. As per the aforesaid NGT order dated 18.05.2023 (revised on 22.05.2023), in Andhra Pradesh, 515.85 capacity of STPs (43 nos.) is existing with capacity utilisation of 473.77 (91%).

The discharge standards notified by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) through the Environment (protection) rules, 1986 dated 19.11.86 – Schedule – VI, General Standards for Discharge of Environmental Pollutants Part – A: Effluents of the Rules provides the effluent standards for inland surface water, public sewers, land for irrigation and marine coastal areas.

Further, MoEFCC has amended the aforesaid rules and notified vide Extraordinary Gazette No. 843 on 13 Oct., 2017 with the revision of effluents standards for sewage treatment plants (STPs) for four parameters viz. pH, Bio-chemical Oxygen Demand, Total Suspended Solids and Fecal Coliform.

Networked underground sewerage systems, including augmentation of existing sewerage systems, augmentation and rehabilitation of existing STPs and construction of new STP are admissible components under the Under AMRUT & AMRUT 2.0. Under the Mission projects have been selected, appraised, approved and implemented by the concerned States/ Union Territories (UT)/ ULBs as per their local conditions/ constraints and the requirement including upgrade and modernise sewage treatment plants.

Under AMRUT, ₹32,456 crore (42%) has been allocated to sewerage and septage projects and so far, 313 STPs with a total capacity of 6,232 Million Litres Per Day (MLD) have been taken up. Of this,214 STPs with a total capacity of 4,174 MLD have already been completed. Around 18,000 km sewerage network has been laid in these projects.

In addition, AMRUT 2.0 scheme, has been launched on 01 October, 2021 for the period of 05 years i.e. from the financial year 2021-22 to 2025-26. So far, ₹62,935.90 crore worth of projects have already been approved by the Ministry under the sewerage & septage sector. 29,105 Km sewerage network and 5,791.94 MLD of sewage treatment capacity is planned in these projects.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Housing & Urban Affairs, Shri Tokhan Sahu, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.