Indore, arguably the cleanest city of India, has put yet another feather in its cap. It has now been certified as the first Water Plus city of the country under the Swachh Survekshan 2021. This has been only possible because of the dedication and determination of people towards maintaining the cleanliness. However, no team can work without a captain and here the Municipal Commissioner of Indore Ms. Pratibha Pal should get her due credit. She not only encouraged people to set an example for the entire nation but also worked day and night to improve the city infrastructure.
During a conversation with Indian Masterminds, the 2012 batch officer talked about the challenges in managing the drainage system and other water resources of the city.
Very humbly, Ms Pal gave the whole credit to the people of Indore. She said, “If people take prominent initiatives and make their contributions, their city is bounds to improve. We have seen it in Indore and this could be replicated anywhere. If you have a purpose which is for good, then everyone give their hand of support to it.’’
WHAT IS A WATER PLUS CITY?
The city that continues to maintain cleanliness in its nearby rivers ponds as well as drains in the residential and commercial areas is counted as a Water Plus City. Basically, what it implies is that all kinds of waste water should be treated before they are released into environment.
Under the Swachh Survekshan 2021, 84 cities had applied for the water plus certificate, out of which 33 cities were shortlisted for the survey. According to the criteria, the dirt must not reach the drains or the river and the sewage network should be well connected with the households & other establishments. Thirty percent of the city’s sewage water has to be recycled while community toilets must be connected to sewer lines which must be cleaned. And Indore was not only found suitable for the survey but it also managed to achieve the target.
The task was challenging, though not impossible. This the Municipal Commissioner Ms. Pal proved with her leadership qualities.
As she said, “In the survey it was found that around 7500 public and domestic sewer outfalls in the city were directly inter-connected and could be modified. It was difficult to convince the societies for cooperation since the work required lots of rebuilding. So, we communicated with them about the necessity of this process and dangers like health hazards &water contamination if we don’t do it. Taking all those concern into consideration, the public agreed and we got full support from them.’’
THE CHALLENGES
The task of making Indore a water plus city took almost a year to complete. During this process, the administration faced various challenges including the two waves of Covid19 which hampered its work.
“People living on the banks of the river have their toilets at the back side of their houses, which are directly connected to the rivers. We needed to modify the situation. For this, the whole sewage line was to transfer, which could hamper the flooring of the houses. But the positivity shown by them made our exercise a success, and more than 5500 people invested their personal funds for the completion of this task,’’ said Ms. Pal.
Challenges for the Indore administration did not end there. It was hard to carry on the work during the two waves of Covid19. Some 150 contractors, 240 municipal staffs including engineers were involved in the project and it wasn’t easy for them to work in those conditions.
Most of the rebuilding work was to be done in areas which were declared as the micro-containment zones. Most of the workers were from Gujarat, so they left when the lockdown was announced. Talking about those hard times Ms. Pal said “We could not have hired other workers because the task was little complicated. They were familiar with our plan so it would have been easy for them to finish it in a short time. On the other hand, hiring others would have been a much more hectic process. So Indore Municipal Corporation coordinated with officials in Gujarat and provided vehicles for the workers to bring them back.”
As of now, 30% of sewage waters in Indore is recycled and is being used in gardens and construction sites. Some 400 public toilets equal numbers of urinals have been constructed and upgraded for a period of four years. The sewage networks, primary lines in the colonies were made in 2009-10, and these too have been modified, Ms Pal held.
THE NEXT PLAN
The Indore administration is working to improvise the air quality.
Ms Pal says, “We have made the action plans which include ways to treat vehicular & industrial emission. Besides, we will also increase the plantation in the city. This work will be start soon, and all will be able to see the results for themselves.” Through its hard work and vision, the Indore administration has proved that to those who are well-prepared, challenges bring their own rewards.
