The government has roped in technical and infrastructure experts from Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) to standardise processes and design facilities for solid waste and used water management in towns with a population of less than one lakh.
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed on Tuesday between the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and public sector undertaking RITES for technical assistance under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0.
The technical support unit of RITES will offer assistance for a period of three years, an official statement said.
SBM-U, launched in October 2022 with the overall vision of creating ‘garbage-free cities’, has introduced used water management as a newly funded component for towns with less than 1 lakh population. India has 3,700 towns that have a population of less than a lakh.
RITES will provide technical support for standards and specification in the field of sewage and faecal sludge management, and standardisation of waste water treatment units.
For solid waste management, the areas of engagement would be process standardisation and engineering design of waste management, which will include facilities to sort partially or completely decomposed biodegradable waste, plastic waste, textiles, metal, glass and other components. It will further assist with preparation of model tender documents and procurement in the field of waste management.
The MoU will enable States and urban local bodies to implement the mission initiatives efficiently, providing safe and sustainable sanitation access universally, through safe containment, collection and transportation, treatment, and reuse, a Ministry official said.
