Lok Sabha Question No. 398 (STARRED), answered on 2017-03-29
Subject: Faecal Sludge and Septage Management Policy
Ministry: URBAN DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: PARVESH SAHIB SINGH

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO 398

## TO BE ANSWERED ON MARCH 29, 2017

## FAECAL SLUDGE AND SEPTAGE MANAGEMENT POLICY

- No.  *398 SHRI PARVESH SAHIB SINGH: Will the Minister of URBAN DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:
- (a) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  bring  out  a  national policy on Faecal Sludge and Septage Management (FSSM);
- (b) if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  its  aims  and  objectives; and
- (c) whether any step has been taken or is proposed to be taken for sale of faecal sludge to farmers as compost and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT

(SHRI M. VENKAIAH NAIDU)

(a) to (c) : A Statement is laid on the Table of the Sabha.

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## STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  LOK  SABHA  STARRED QUESTION NO. 398 FOR 29.03.2017  REGARDING  FAECAL  SLUDGE AND SEPTAGE MANAGEMENT POLICY

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(a):      Yes,  Madam.  Ministry  has  brought  out  a  National  Policy  on Faecal Sludge and Septage Management (FSSM) in February 2017.

(b): The  vision  for  Faecal  Sludge  and  Septage  Management  in urban  India  is  that  all  Indian  cities  and  towns  become  sanitized, healthy  and  liveable  and  ensure  sustenance  of  good  sanitation practices  with  improved  Onsite  Sanitation  Services  together  with faecal sludge and septage management to achieve optimum public health status and maintain clean environment with special focus on the poor.

The key objective  of  the  urban  FSSM  Policy  is  to  set  the  context, priorities, and direction for, and to facilitate, nationwide implementation of FSSM services in all ULBs for safe and sustainable  sanitation  practice.  The  salient  features  of  the  FSSM policy are at Annexure-I.

(c): No separate steps have been taken for sale of faecal sludge to farmers as compost. However, a policy on promotion of city compost (primarily  from  municipal  solid  waste)  was  brought  out  by  the

Department  of  Fertilizers,  Ministry  of  Chemicals  and  Fertilizers, wherein market development assistance in the form of fixed amount of Rs. 1500 per tonne of city compost is to be provided to fertilizer marketing companies for promoting sale of city compost. A copy of O.M.  No.  11026/14/2015-M&E  dated  10.02.2016  of  Department  of Fertilizers  (Ministry  of  Chemical  and  Fertilizers)  is  at  Annexure-II. The faecal sludge, after proper disinfection, can be processed along with  municipal  solid  waste  under  controlled  conditions  to  produce City compost utilizing the faecal sludge.

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## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  LOK  SABHA  STARRED QUESTION 398 FOR ANSWER ON 29.03.2017

ANNEXURE-I

Salient  features  of  National  Policy  on  Faecal  Sludge  and  Septage Management (FSSM), 2017

The  National  Policy  on  Faecal  Sludge  and  Septage  Management (FSSM) intends to:-

- (i). Move India on the path of mainstreaming FSSM in urban India value chain with containment, extraction,
- by the year 2019, and ensure that all benefits of wide access to safe sanitation accrue to all citizens across the sanitation transportation, treatment,  and  disposal  /  re-use  of  all  faecal  sludge,  septage and other liquid waste and their by-products and end-products.
- (ii). Suggest and identify ways and means, including the methods and  resources,  towards  creation  of  an  enabling  environment
- for realizing safe and sustainable FSSM in India.
- (iii). Define  the  roles  and  responsibilities  of  various  government
- entities and agencies, and of other key stakeholders such as the private sector, civil society organizations and citizens for

effective  implementation  of  FSSM  services  throughout  the country.

- (iv). Enable and support synergies among relevant Central Government  programs  such  as  SBM,  AMRUT  and  the  Smart Cities Mission to realize safe and sustainable sanitation for all at the earliest, possibly by the year 2019.
- (v). Mitigate gender-based sanitation insecurity directly related to FSSM,  reducing  the  experience  of  health  burdens,  structural violence,  and  promote  involvement  of  both  genders  in  the planning for and design of sanitation infrastructure.