Himalaya Harbinger, Rudrapur Bureau.
Rudrapur: Despite ongoing efforts by the central and state governments to improve solid and liquid waste management, 77 cities in Uttarakhand still lack a sewage network. The Urban Development Department, along with the Namami Gange project, has been working to prevent sewage from polluting rivers, but the state’s sewage infrastructure remains severely inadequate.
Urban expansion in the himalayan state is far outpacing the development of sewage networks. Currently, 77 cities have no sewage network, and this number could rise to 86 if nine transitioning gram panchayats are notified as urban areas. Even in the 28 cities that do have a sewage network, coverage is incomplete, with significant areas left unconnected.
“This situation poses a serious environmental risk for the state, which is highly sensitive ecologically,” said an official from the Urban Development Department.
Uttarakhand, a Central Himalayan state, has 71.05 percent of its total area covered by forest, with the remainder comprising cities, villages, and agricultural land. It is also the source of major rivers such as the Ganga and Yamuna. Ensuring that sewage does not enter these life-giving rivers is critical for the state’s ecological health. However, the reality is far from reassuring.
In the last decade, efforts under the Namami Gange project and other externally funded schemes have made some progress, but the pace has been slow. Currently, only 28 cities have partial sewage networks, including the capital, Dehradun, where even large municipal corporations are not fully covered.
“By next year, Rishikesh and Haridwar will be fully connected to the sewage network under externally aided projects,” the official added.
A major hurdle in developing the sewage network is the lack of funds. Initial assessments estimated the cost of implementing a full sewage network across all cities at Rs 20,000 crore. Though this figure is substantial for the state’s financial resources, phased implementation could have mitigated the issue. An in-depth study has now been proposed to assess the sewage network requirements.
