The pace of creating infrastructure for water needs to be enhanced

- RAJNEESH CHOPRA

Global Head - Business Development, VA Tech WABAG Ltd

What is the current demand-supply scenario of water in India?

Current supply demand scenario in India is pretty alarming, being a high growth economy the demand is further escalating because of manufacturing picking up in the industrial sector. Rapid urbanization and demand in the agriculture sector which accounts for 80% of total water usage will further create stress on available water resources.

The scenario is further compounding because of uneven distribution of fresh water sources across the country. According to NWIC, mean reservoir volume has reduced from 1,104.15 BCM in 2020 to 52.47 BCM in 2022. Also average annual per capita water availability in 2001 was 1,816 cu m which came down to 1,545 cu m in 2011. The government has taken major initiatives to replenish fresh water sources underground and above the ground under its various schemes with an un-precedent outlay.

• Atal Bhujal Yojana - 6,000 crore - to rejuvenate ground water
• NMCG /NRCD -20,000 crore - to rejuvenate fresh water rivers
• AMRUT 2.0 - 1,99,000 crore - to provide water and sanitation to all
• Jal Jeevan Mission - 360,000 crore - to provide tap water connection to all.

What are the steps needed to minimise wastage in water distribution and usage?

The major initiative required to minimize wastage in water distribution is to implement 24×7 water supply schemes in urban areas to bring NRW to a single digit from current levels ranging from 40% to 80%. As far as usage is concerned, the major optimization has to be done in the agricultural sector by implementation of drip irrigation and improving water usage efficiency by choosing the right crops. As far as Industrial usage is concerned, the heavy industries have been proactively responsible by implementing recycle & reuse. Going forward recycle & reuse has to be implemented across the industries along with zero liquid discharge to achieve water use efficiency and to ensure environmental norms. On the domestic front we need to resort to reuse of grey water as well as using water efficient sanitary and plumbing.

Rain water harvesting as initiated by the Honourable PM under 'Catch the rain when it falls and where it falls' has to be made mandatory. A comprehensive implementation of all the above initiatives across the country is the only way to minimize wastage.

What are the solutions offered by the company in Water Sustainability?

WABAG is now ranked third in the world's top private water operators serving close to 8.9 crore people and ranked sixth among top players in desalination in the world.

Our achievements so far in sustainability:

• Producing 27.4 million cu m of clean water/day
• Recycling more than 2.7 million cu m of water/day
• Purifying 27.3 million cu m of wastewater/day
• Producing more than 35 MWh of green energy through sludge treatment.

WABAG has been providing high technologies for recycle & reuse, desalination, industrial ETPs, ZLD and resource recovery. The recent technological advancements in desalination make it more viable, reliable, affordable and sustainable in the current scenario.

What are the steps needed for maximising sewage water recycling for reuse of wastewater?

The following steps are needed for maximising sewage water recycling and reusing:

• Sewage water and treated sewage water has to be declared as a resource and to be strictly monitored and audited.
• Use of fresh water for industrial use has to be stopped and should promote using reclaimed water.
• Should create awareness and generate demand on safe usage of recycled wastewater in Agriculture & Industries.

Koyambedu TTRO plant built by WABAG recycles municipal used water for reuse as industrial water which effectively reduces the need to use fresh water, thus saving over 14,000 million litres of fresh water annually, an excellent model for Municipal Industrial partnership.

What is the trend of seawater desalination in the country?

The country has a long coastline and abundant seawater resources, which makes it an attractive location for seawater desalination projects. States of Tamil Nadu and Gujarat have been investing on desalination for potable water and achieving water security. Now other states like Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra are planning to set up desalination plants.

Tamil Nadu has been the pioneer in using this technology, setting up two desalination plants near Chennai near Minjur (100 MLD) and Nemmeli (110 MLD) in 2010 and then 2013, while there are two more to come of 150 MLD and 400 MLD. Gujarat has started executing four SWRO desalination plants with a capacity of 270 MLD for potable supply. Similarly, Mumbai also has proposed a desalination plant of 400 MLD which is expected to commence by 2024.

Industries in coastal regions have already implemented desalination for captive use and are gathering more traction now. A new segment of green hydrogen is emerging for desal water for captive use.

WABAG is one of the initial companies to have started executing desalination plants in India, starting with its pilot project for Mitsubishi in the year 2000 for brackish water desalination and first seawater desalination plant for GMDC Ltd in 2006.

Similarly, the WABAG built 110 MLD Nemmeli SWRO desalination plant at Chennai sets a benchmark in the field of desalination, being the largest municipal desalination plant in India as on date which is supplying drinking water to southern suburbs of Chennai.

What is your outlook on water sustainability in India?

Water sustainability is possible in India given the government initiatives which are already in place. This can be further enhanced with active participation of private investment in creating infrastructure. Public Private Partnership with requisite security for private players is in the way forward.

The pace of creating infrastructure for water needs to be enhanced. It is all about water management, and professional water management companies like WABAG will contribute to play a critical role in making India water secure.

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