The 17th meeting of the Empowered Task Force (ETF), chaired by Union Minister for Jal Shakti CR Paatil, focused on advancing technology-driven river rejuvenation, particularly under the Namami Gange Programme.

The meeting emphasised strengthening data-based decision-making, monitoring mechanisms, and compliance frameworks. Minister Paatil expressed satisfaction with the completion of 15 pollution abatement projects in the current year, noting significant progress in the Ganga rejuvenation effort. Uttar Pradesh led with six completed projects, followed by Bihar and West Bengal. The meeting highlighted the importance of treated wastewater reuse, innovative solutions like Aquifer Mapping and bioremediation, and the development of sewage treatment infrastructure.

The Union Minister urged states to quickly implement policies for the safe reuse of treated water. He also reviewed the aerial survey project for drainage mapping in Uttar Pradesh, which uses geospatial technology to improve planning. To enhance monitoring, real-time CCTV surveillance with AI integration will be added to sewage treatment plants (STPs).