Gandhinagar, March 7 Gujarat’s Urban Development Minister Rushikesh Patel announced that the state government has approved Rs 5.74 crore for the underground sewerage project in Wankaner City under the Swarnim Jayanti Mukhyamantri Urban Development Scheme.
The initiative aims to enhance urban infrastructure by improving the city's sewerage network and includes provisions for house connections and two years of maintenance and repair. As of December 31, 2024, Rs 47.65 lakh has been spent on the project, with 35 per cent of the total work completed.
The remaining work is expected to be finished by December 2025, Patel stated while addressing the Gujarat Assembly in response to a query by Wankaner MLA Jitendra Kantilal Somani. Highlighting the challenges posed by rapid urbanisation, Patel explained that the Swarnim Jayanti Mukhyamantri Urban Development Scheme was launched in 2009 to ensure the comprehensive development of cities across Gujarat as part of the state's 50th anniversary celebrations.
Under this scheme, Wankaner’s underground sewerage project (Phase 2) includes a comprehensive collecting network, house connections, and maintenance work. Additionally, Patel noted that 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 have already been completed as part of the state's urban sanitation initiatives. The state has also focused on increasing sewage treatment capacity. Currently, Gujarat has over 120 sewage treatment plants (STPs) across various cities, with a combined capacity of approximately 3,000 MLD (million litres per day).
Notable 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, all of which have been completed recently. Additionally, Ahmedabad has some of the largest STPs in the state, including a 375 MLD plant at Pirana, contributing significantly to wastewater treatment and reuse. In Surat, the municipal corporation has been actively working on expanding the city’s sewage network, investing in new drainage pipelines and treatment plants.
The Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has implemented a decentralised sewage treatment system to cater to different zones, ensuring more efficient wastewater management. Similarly, Vadodara and Rajkot are also upgrading their sewerage infrastructure with new projects under central and state urban development schemes. The Gujarat Urban Development Mission (GUDM) and the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) have played a crucial role in funding sewage projects across the state. Under AMRUT, several cities have received financial assistance for improving wastewater management, with an emphasis on 100 per cent sewage connectivity and safe disposal.
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