‘Cleanest’ Indore is now first ‘water plus’ city also

Indore, the cleanest city of India, on Wednesday became the first city in the country to be accorded Water Plus Certificate.

The latest feat will strengthen its bid to secure ‘7 Star City’ rating under garbage-free cities category of Swachh Survekshan 2021.

Water Plus Certification is mandatory for a city to get the ‘7 Star City’ rating.

A city can be declared Water Plus when all wastewater released from households, commercial establishments, drains etc can be treated to the level that meets the norms of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), before releasing the treated water to the environment. Besides, adequate capacity of wastewater and sewage treatment facilities need to be ensured and the mechanism of the system should be made sustainable.

Half-a-dozen teams of Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (UMHUA) visited the city last month to conduct a survey and found out that a system has been put in place in the city to ensure that wastewater released from households, commercial establishments, drains etc is not released to

Kahn and Saraswati rivers.

The wastewater is channelised to the sewage treatment plant which then feeds the Kahn and Saraswati rivers.

Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan hailed the feat, saying “Heartiest congratulations to citizens of Indore as it becomes the first SBM (Swachh Bharat Mission) Water Plus certified city under Swachh Survekshan 2021. Indore has been an example for the whole nation for its determination and dedication towards cleanliness”.

Indore has been declared the cleanest city in the country for the fourth time in a row under SBM survey.