53. 100% disposal of liquid waste and reuse of wastewater
Status: The Modi government has launched phase II of Swachh Bharat for the next five years, both for Grameen and Urban areas. Phase II includes a key component of used water management (Water+) to avoid discharging of used water into open environment, and for maximum reuse of treated water for cities with less than 1 lakh population. For cities above 1 lakh population, the govt. is implementing the AMRUT 2.0 (phase II of the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation) where treated water is being used in flushing toilets, agriculture, industrial, water body rejuvenation, etc. Progress however has been slow — 72% of urban wastewater continues to remain untreated; only 14 cities were certified Water+ by Dec 2023; on the rural front, out of 6 lakh-odd SBM villages, 4.5 lakh villages have a set up for liquid waste management. i ii iii iv v