HMWS&SB, HMDA enable Hyderabad to get ‘Water Plus’ certification

HYDERABAD: Union ministry of housing and urban affairs on Friday certified Hyderabad as 'Water Plus” city, making it the first urban local body in Telangana to achieve this categorisation. This has happened after Hyderabad city got cent percent marks in all nine indicators stipulated by the centre.

The union ministry has given 50 marks for safe discharge of sewage or septage (faecal sludge) and septage from community and public toilets, apart from household latrines. It has given 20 marks for safe cleaning of sewer and septic tanks through mechanised equipment, availability of personal protective equipment and safety equipment in case manual intervention is unavoidable; 10 marks for sufficient de-sludging vehicles and jetting machines for cleaning septic tanks, soak pits and sewers in the city, 50 marks for adequate treatment capacity of sewage treatment plants (STPs) and operational efficiency, 15 marks for re-use of treated water, 30 marks for length of well maintained municipal drains receiving sullage, linked with each other and leading to STPs, placing bar screens, and trash arresters at strategic locations; 40 marks for 100 percent operations and maintenance of sewer networks and STPs; 15 marks for complaint mechanism available for choked sewers, leakage of sewage, water logging, septic tank cleaning, uncovered manholes, drain cleaning, maintenance of logs, complaint redressal status, and 20 marks for responsible sanitation authority and sanitation response unit, as per the ministry’s guidelines. Based on these criteria, surveys had been carried out at 79 locations within Hyderabad city.

Water plus certification comes as a credit for state capital after certification of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) as ODF++. The certification is all because of efforts made by Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB), which maintains 25 STPs. Additionally, there are three more STPs maintained by Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA). The water in all these STPs is maintained to a satisfactory level before discharging the treated waste.

Water plus certification is awarded after a corporation ensures minimum 25 percent reuse of treated water in existing STPs for various purposes. The treated STP water in Hyderabad is being reused in parks, construction of roads, public toilets, agriculture, cleaning activities and utilisation for agriculture needs downstream of River Musi.

Under Swachh Bharat Mission launched in 2014, certifications are awarded to cities based on different levels, ranging from Open Defecation Free (ODF), ODF+. ODF++ and Water Plus. ODF ensures 100 percent accessibility of toilet facilities to everyone. ODF+ is for proper maintenance of toilets by ensuring basic facilities like water and cleanliness by connecting them to sewer networks. ODF++ ensures solid and liquid waste management (STPs) and visually clean toilets.