Shimla — Himachal Pradesh has moved into the next phase of rural sanitation with a statewide plan to manage faecal sludge scientifically, officials said on Friday, a programme expected to benefit nearly 7,000 villages.
After achieving Open Defecation Free (ODF) status, the Rural Development Department — in partnership with the state Jal Shakti Department — is installing faecal‑sludge co‑treatment facilities at selected sewage treatment plants (STPs). The scheme, introduced under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin), aims to safely collect, transport, treat and dispose of sludge from septic tanks and single‑pit systems commonly used in rural households.
“Without timely desludging and safe disposal, accumulated sludge is often released into drains, streams and forests, contaminating water sources and raising the risk of waterborne diseases,” a departmental spokesperson said. The new initiative, known as Faecal Sludge Management (FSM), is intended to plug that gap by creating an integrated, sustainable system for handling liquid waste in rural areas.
Given the state’s hilly terrain, dense forests and scarcity of suitable land — factors that make dedicated Faecal Sludge Treatment Plants (FSTPs expensive and difficult to maintain — Himachal has opted for a co‑treatment model. Technical recommendations from the WASH Institute, which is supporting the Liquid Waste Management programme, guided the decision to upgrade existing municipal STPs so they can receive and process septage alongside sewage.
Under the plan, infrastructure additions at STPs will enable safe intake and joint treatment of faecal sludge, avoiding the need for separate treatment facilities and reducing capital costs. A State Level Approval Committee (SLAC), chaired by the Secretary of the Rural Development Department, evaluates proposals, checking treatment capacity, projected sludge volumes, costs and technical feasibility before granting approval. To date, 30 co‑treatment projects have been cleared.
The state has released roughly Rs. 15 crore to the Jal Shakti Department for project execution and the two departments have signed a memorandum of understanding to coordinate implementation. Construction work has begun at STPs serving Palampur and Sundernagar and adjoining rural communities have already started to see benefits, the spokesperson said.
Officials set a target of operationalising co‑treatment facilities at all approved STPs by 31 March 2027. Once in place, the programme is expected to safeguard water resources, improve public health, strengthen environmental conservation and consolidate the gains made after the ODF certification.
“Himachal is moving from being ODF to ensuring safe, sustainable management of liquid waste — a critical step to protect long‑term public health and natural resources,” the spokesperson added.
