How Indore became India’s first ‘Water Plus’ city

Indore, which has successively grabbed the ‘cleanest city’, title has added a new feather to its cap by becoming the first ‘Water Plus’ city in India. The commercial capital of the state of Madhya Pradesh became the first city to attain the ‘Water Plus’ status in the Swachh Survekshan 2021. ‘Water Plus’ status is accorded to cities under the Swachh Survekshan survey on the basis of their performance in tapping the polluted water and preventing its flow in the rivers and other freshwater bodies of the region.

Taking to Twitter to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan said that Indore has set an example for the whole country by showing its dedication and determination towards cleanliness. The CM also hoped that the city continues to bring glory and fame to the state in future.

Indore Municipal Commissioner Pratibha Pal told ANI that the city had done extensive work to tap the sources of greywater in the city. Pal said that more than 7,000 outfalls of greywater that used to drain water into the rivers and other streams were identified and closed by the city administration fulfilling the criteria to claim the ‘Water Plus’ tag.

Indore district collector Manish Singh earlier told news agency PTI that there were about 5,600 domestic sewer connections and 1,700 public sewer links that drained the polluted water in several small and big nullahs across the city. With the tapping of these polluted water sources, the Kanh and Saraswati rivers in the city will also be sewer-free, Singh said.

In its fight against the polluted water, the administration had also constructed seven sewerage water treatment plants and the city re-uses about 110 million litres of the treated water every day, Pal told PTI. The central government has launched several schemes and projects related to cleanliness and sanitation in the country as part of the Swachh Bharat Campaign.