Status Review meeting- Capacity Building Programme on Preparation of City Sanitation Planning and Effective Faceal Sludge Management in Uttar Pradesh on April 9, 2018.

Water Programme hosted a State-level urban sanitation programme review cum planning meeting with key state and ULB level officers in Lucknow on 9th April, 2018.

The meeting was chaired by Mr. A.K. Singh (Director) and Mr. Vishal Bharadwaj (Additional Director) of the Directorate of Local Bodies, Uttar Pradesh. Official representatives of SBM, UP Jal Nigam and Executive officers of all four selected cities in UP (Ramnagar, Chunar, Bijnor and Gangaghat) were present.

Dr Suresh Kumar Rohilla, Programme Director presented the progress made in the last two years in capacity building programme for urban local bodies for city wide sanitation in UP. SFDs of Ganga basin cities were presented at the meeting. Key officials from UP government, Mr U.K. Tayal, PDMC (AMRUT), Mr P.K. Agarwal UPJN) presented their experience throughout every stage of the programme and dictated their learnings from both national and international exposure visits. In addition, the following aspects were discussed and reviewed together with the city officials and state representatives:

- Status of CSP Preparation, City Sanitation Task Force (CSTF) formation & meetings
- Land identification and/or acquisition for pilot FSTP & DWWTs in Bijnor, Chunar, Gangaghat&Ramnagar
- DPR of FSTP/ DWWTs at Chunar, Bijnor
- Status of bye laws for FSM & FSTP enabling framework

The water team, also highlighted the key aspects of the CSE – DoUD Partnership for effective septage management and subsequent action to be taken in the coming three years. A tentative calendar of activities (Trainings/workshops) for the next three months was presented to the state.

Mr. Vishal Bharadwaj, motivated cities to follow timelines and to address the issue of septage management in their cities, especially through the implementation of pilot projects.