Gujarat Allocates Rs 5.74 Crore for Wankaner Sewerage Initiative

Gandhinagar, March 7 (NationPress) Gujarat’s Urban Development Minister Rushikesh Patel revealed that the state government has allocated Rs 5.74 crore for the underground sewerage initiative in Wankaner City as part of the Swarnim Jayanti Mukhyamantri Urban Development Scheme.

The project is designed to bolster urban infrastructure by enhancing the city's sewerage system, incorporating provisions for house connections and a maintenance period of two years. As of December 31, 2024, Rs 47.65 lakh has been utilized for the project, with 35 percent of the overall work completed.

The remaining tasks are projected to be completed by December 2025, Patel mentioned while responding to a question from Wankaner MLA Jitendra Kantilal Somani in the Gujarat Assembly. Addressing the challenges of rapid urbanization, Patel noted that the Swarnim Jayanti Mukhyamantri Urban Development Scheme was initiated in 2009 to promote comprehensive city development across Gujarat in celebration of the state's 50th anniversary.

Under this scheme, Wankaner’s underground sewerage project (Phase 2) includes a complete collecting network, house connections, and maintenance services. Furthermore, Patel highlighted the completion of a 5.8 MLD sewage treatment plant in Wankaner, a 6.7 MLD plant in Halvad, and a 2.5 MLD plant in Maliya Miyana, all part of the state’s urban sanitation efforts. The state has also concentrated on enhancing sewage treatment capacity, boasting over 120 sewage treatment plants (STPs) with a total capacity of around 3,000 MLD (million litres per day).

Significant projects include a 5.8 MLD STP in Wankaner, a 6.7 MLD STP in Halvad, and a 2.5 MLD STP in Maliya Miyana, which have been recently completed. Additionally, Ahmedabad features some of the largest STPs in the state, like a 375 MLD plant at Pirana, which plays a vital role in wastewater treatment and reuse. The municipal corporation in Surat is actively expanding the city’s sewage network, investing in new drainage systems and treatment facilities.

The Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has established a decentralized sewage treatment system to address various zones, ensuring improved wastewater management. Similarly, Vadodara and Rajkot are modernizing their sewerage infrastructure with new undertakings under both central and state urban development initiatives. The Gujarat Urban Development Mission (GUDM) and the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) have been instrumental in financing sewage projects statewide. Through AMRUT, several cities have received funding to enhance wastewater management, with a focus on achieving 100 percent sewage connectivity and safe waste disposal.