Local successes in water management

Indore in Madhya Pradesh was declared the first “water plus” city in the country under the Swachh Survekshan 2021, according to an announcement by the Centre. Surat in Gujarat has also received the same tag. According to guidelines, a city can be declared as “water plus” if it achieves three parameters: First, it must ensure that dirty water does not go into any river or drain; second, all public toilets must be connected to sewer lines; and third, 30% of the city’s sewer water has to be recycled and reused. Earlier this month, another city, Puri (Odisha), became the first city to provide residents drinkfrom-tap facility, which means they can use water for cooking and drinking without filtration.

In India, accessibility to clean water and water pollution are two big challenges. Less than 50% of the population has access to safely managed drinking water. Water pollution is a serious problem as almost 70% of its surface water resources and a growing percentage of its groundwater reserves are contaminated by biological, toxic, organic, and inorganic pollutants, says an IDFC report.

Clean water and sanitation, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been rightly focused on, including through the Jal Jeevan Mission, has enormous impact on both health, economy, gender equality and education. While Indore, Surat and Puri are outliers at the moment, they can provide a road map and encouragement for others to follow suit.