Indore: First Water Plus City of the Country | 12 Aug 2021

Indore, which has been ranked number one in cleanliness four times in the country, has been declared as the country's first 'water plus city' in the results of Swachh Survekshan, 2021 released by the Government of India on August 11, 2021.

In order to go to the micro level in the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the Ministry has included Water Plus with cleanliness. Its main objective is to clean the water bodies, rivers and ponds in the cities, so that only clean and rainwater flows in the rivers and streams and sewerage water can be reused.
84 cities of the country had applied in the selection process of Water Plus, out of which only 33 cities were found suitable for ground verification.
Under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban), the cities of the country are tested on the basis of various cleanliness parameters. It has categories of ODF+, ODF++ and Water+.
The Water Plus certificate is awarded to cities that have met all the ODF Double Plus standards. Also, the residual sewage from residential and commercial establishments is released into the environment only after treatment. Reuse of treated wastewater should also be ensured.
As per the guidelines of Water Plus Protocol of Swachh Survekshan, Indore Municipal Corporation has tapped 1746 public and 5624 domestic sewers in 25 small and big drains and the Kanh and Saraswati rivers of the city were made free from sewer lines.
The Swachh Survekshan is an annual survey of cleanliness and sanitation in cities and towns across the country as part of the 'Swachh Bharat Mission'.