Swachh Bharat Mission water plus certification: Chandigarh MC invites public opinion

For getting the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) water plus certification this year, the Chandigarh municipal corporation has sought public objections and comments.

A city or a ward can be declared as water plus provided all wastewater released from households, commercial establishments, drains, nullahs is treated to a satisfactory level (as per Central Pollution Control Board norms), before releasing it into the environment.

Further, adequate capacity of wastewater and sewage treatment facilities is to be ensured. The infrastructure should be maintained properly and cost recovery ensured through reuse/recycling of treated wastewater to ensure sustainability.

“Chandigarh is treating all the waste, sewage water generated from residential, commercial and industrial areas at different treatment plants. No untreated water is flowing into the water bodies. More than 25% of the treated wastewater is being used in green areas, parks and lawns for their maintenance and development,” said an MC official.

Notably, a National Green Tribunal (NGT) panel had recently directed the MC to plug the flowing of sewage water into the Sukhna choe and N-choe at five places.

SBM Water Plus is the next level of certification after open defecation free++ (ODF++) and is also a precondition for a city to compete for seven-star garbage-free city rating so as to rank among top cleanest cities in Swachh Survekshan 2021.

Chandigarh was accorded the ODF status first on September 27, 2016, and the city was certified ODF++ on September 19, 2019.

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