The ‘three-pond system’ initiated by the Haryana Government to recycle waste water in villages of Karnal district has caught the attention of the Centre. Impressed at its success that has also ensured clean water in the district’s rural areas, the Union Water and Sanitation Ministry has suggested the States to take up the project by dovetailing funds from the central flagship rural job scheme, MNREGA in villages.
The Centre hopes that the local initiative based on Waste Stabilisation Pond (WSP technology) would also help push its Swachchh Bharat mission in ensuring clean water that would help achieve its target of making the country open defecation-free by 2019.
Sujoy Majumdar, director (SBM) in the Water and Sanitation Ministry in a recent advisory to the respective departments of the State Governments said, “the three-pond system for treatment of grey water has been successfully implemented in the Karnal district of Haryana. States may consider dovetailing MNREGA funds.”
As water management is a major challenge, three-pond system or grey water disposal will help using dirty ponds as resources, combating diseases as well as overcoming scarcity of water in all the States, he said.
The Centre’s decision follows a green signal by Deputy Adviser to the Rural Development Ministry G Bala Subramaniam who had visited Chand Smand, Jadoli, Rasulpur Kalan, Sirsi and Shahpur villages in Haryana last November to study the technique.
The State Government has successfully implemented the three-pond system in 11 villages in Karnal district, while it is under progress in 31 other villages. Plans are afoot to replicate the technique in 23 villages, the official added.
Majumdar also said that the State Governments have the options to use funds under the SBM as well as from the MNREGA to implement the three-pond system whose cost comes to around Rs25-30 lakh.