Srinagar, Jun 24 (NVI): Jammu and Kashmir has secured Rs 10.50 crore in incentives under the Jal Hi AMRIT initiative of AMRUT 2.0 for promoting wastewater treatment and reuse, officials said on Wednesday.
The issue was discussed during a meeting of the Water Resource Recovery Cell (WRRC), chaired by Commissioner Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department, Mandeep Kaur.
Officials informed the meeting that the Union Territory has received the incentive funding under the Jal Hi AMRIT sub-component, which aims to upgrade sewage treatment plants and encourage the reuse of treated wastewater for non-potable purposes.
The department is implementing AMRUT 2.0 through various water supply, sewerage and water body rejuvenation projects. Ongoing interventions include the installation of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems and tertiary treatment facilities to improve the quality of treated wastewater for reuse.
Kaur emphasised the need to utilise treated water, meeting prescribed quality standards, for irrigating parks and gardens, industrial processes, construction activities, automobile cleaning and kitchen gardens.
She said the initiative promotes water conservation and circular economy principles by converting wastewater into a valuable resource, while stressing the importance of robust quality testing before its reuse.
The meeting also discussed strengthening inter-departmental coordination through the Water Resource Recovery Cell, which comprises representatives from departments including Agriculture, Horticulture, Industries and Commerce, Jal Shakti, Irrigation and Flood Control, Urban Local Bodies, Forests and the Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Committee.
Kaur directed the Jal Shakti Department and the Urban Environmental Engineering Department to explore projects for creating an exclusive network to supply treated wastewater to parks and gardens in Srinagar city.
She also said a working group would be constituted for Jammu to assess a comprehensive project for the productive use of treated wastewater.
Senior officials from various departments, including the Jammu and Srinagar Municipal Corporations, attended the meeting.—(NVI)
