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Cities generating more sewage than they can treat: Parl panel report
🇮🇳 India /Environment & Climate

Cities generating more sewage than they can treat: Parl panel report

From Hindustan Times · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • India's cities generate over 52,000 million liters of sewage daily, exceeding treatment capacity by more than 20,000 MLD.
  • A parliamentary report found only 51% of sewage treatment plants meet 2015 standards, with 15% meeting stricter 2019 norms.
  • Inadequate treatment, poor maintenance, and low wastewater reuse hinder urban sanitation, with many households relying on poorly constructed septic systems.

India's urban centers are grappling with a significant sewage treatment deficit, generating approximately 52,644 million liters per day (MLD) against an installed capacity of just 31,885 MLD. This leaves a treatment gap of over 20,700 MLD, according to a parliamentary standing committee report.

inadequate treatment capacity, weak operation and maintenance (O&M) and poor wastewater reuse continue to undermine urban sanitation.

— Parliamentary Standing Committee ReportThe report warned about the ongoing issues hindering effective urban sanitation.

The report highlighted that capacity alone does not guarantee effective sanitation. A third-party survey revealed that only 51% of sewage treatment plants (STPs) comply with 2015 discharge standards, and a mere 15% meet the more stringent 2019 norms. This indicates a substantial gap between infrastructure and actual performance.

Furthermore, the committee pointed to deficiencies in both sewer networks and septage-based sanitation systems. While 34.5 million households in AMRUT cities are connected to sewer networks, nearly 28.5 million rely on septage systems. In states like Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, septage systems are more prevalent than sewer networks, underscoring uneven infrastructure development.

capacity often failing to translate into effective sanitation outcomes.

— Parliamentary Standing Committee ReportThe committee flagged the disconnect between installed treatment capacity and actual sanitation results.

The report also flagged serious issues with septage-based sanitation, noting that 60% of urban households use untrained masons for septic tank construction. This often results in tanks that are oversized and poorly constructed, with only 32% properly lined, increasing the risk of groundwater contamination. Many tanks also fail to capture wastewater from kitchens and bathrooms, discharging it directly into drains.

only 51% of STPs comply with 2015 discharge standards and a mere 15% meet the more stringent 2019 norms

— Parliamentary Standing Committee ReportThe report detailed the low compliance rates of sewage treatment plants with environmental discharge standards.

Urban wastewater management faces persistent challenges, including aging sewer networks, frequent blockages, and inadequate maintenance. Despite investments under the AMRUT mission, the sanitation chain from collection to treatment and reuse remains constrained. Progress on wastewater reuse is limited, with current reuse at 6,012 MLD against a target of 10,000 MLD by 2030.

60% of urban households depend on untrained masons instead of municipal guidance for septic tank construction

— Parliamentary Standing Committee ReportThe report cited a study highlighting the poor quality of septic tank construction due to reliance on untrained personnel.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hindustan Times. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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