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Context :

• India is classified as a water stressed nation with per capita freshwater availability below the international threshold of 1700 cubic meters.
• India also ranks 132nd globally for per capita water availability.
• Between 1950 & 2024, water availability per capita surface has decreased by 73% as per the Union Government India Water Resource Information System.
• If these trends continue then India risks becoming water-scarce when water availability drops below 1000 m3 per capita annually.
• Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, & Chennai are facing severe water scarcity. It is also exacerbated by rapid, unplanned urbanization & climate change.

Impact of Climate Change

• Climate change also is intensifing the water cycle. So it is leading to more frequent floods, droughts, & water stress.
• It is further depleting water resources in urban & rural areas.

Wastewater Reuse as a Solution

• Reusing wastewater is emerging as a potential solution to supplement the water supply.
• And it can also alleviate the looming water crisis.
• Wastewater refers to all used water & its recycling can also increase the water resources & it also reduces environmental damage caused by untreated wastewater disposal.

Current State of Wastewater Management in India

• Urban India generates large amounts of wastewater yet the management focus has historically been on disposal rather than reuse.
• According to the Central Pollution Control Board data for 2020-21 urban India generated 72,368 million liters per day of sewage.
• But only 28% were treated. And it left 72% untreated & discarded into water bodies or on land.
• The wastewater treatment infrastructure is also insufficient with an operational capacity of 26,869 MLD compared to the total sewage generation.

Projected Increase in Wastewater Generation

• As urban populations grow, wastewater generation is expected to rise by 75-80% in the next 25 years. It is potentially reaching 0.13 million MLD by 2050.
• By 2050, the total annual wastewater generation will be close to 48 billion cubic meters which is 5 times the existing treatment capacity.

Government's Response and Mandates

• The Union Ministry of Jal Shakti has mandated that cities must recycle & reuse at least 20% of the water they consume.
• NITI Aayog Composite Water Management Index also revealed that 80% of states have improved water management scores. But 16 states still score below 50 points out of 100 with poor performance in water resource management.
• Also These 16 states have 48% population of india, 40% of agricultural produce & 35% of the economic output.
• So there is a critical need for better water management in these regions.

Key Findings and Recommendations

• The study Value from Waste: Managing India’s Urban Water Crisis through Wastewater Reuse focuses on the need to increase the reuse of treated wastewater in sectors agriculture, industry & construction.
• It also suggests that policies and initiatives need to focus on improving the scalability of wastewater treatment and reuse, particularly in urban areas facing acute water scarcity.

Indian Water Management & Scarcity Initiatives :

Source: DTE