India needs to build a resilient water ecosystem that supports our growing urban needs and contributes towards the holistic vision of Viksit Bharat

India's urban landscape has undergone a tremendous transformation since independence, evolving from traditional townships into thriving metropolises that drive the nation's economic and cultural growth. The Government of India’s ambition for a Viksit Bharat by 2047 and their efforts have provided the necessary impetus for this sector.

The Union Budget 2024-25 reflects this commitment with an allocation of Rs 11.11 lakh crore in capital expenditure and an emphasis on water supply, sewage treatment, and solid waste management projects in collaboration with state governments, multilateral development banks, and research institutions.

Our cities, bustling with life and opportunities, stand as testaments to our collective aspirations and endeavours. Yet, beneath this vibrant facade lies a critical challenge that demands urgent attention and innovative solutions: water and wastewater management.

The Past & the Present Status of Wastewater Management in India: India’s rapid urbanisation has brought with it significant challenges in managing water resources. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) (data for 2020-21), India's urban centres generate around 72,368 million litres of sewage per day, but the treatment capacity is only 31,841 million litres per day. This gap leads to untreated wastewater being discharged into our rivers and lakes, contributing to pollution and posing severe health risks.

The Government has initiated several programs like the Namami Gange Programme, Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), and the Smart Cities Mission to address these issues. These initiatives aim to enhance the sewage treatment infrastructure, promote sustainable urban development, and ensure clean water availability. However, over the years, the path to achieving these goals has encountered numerous challenges, from inadequate infrastructure to the absence of innovation, funding constraints and lack of relevant stakeholder partnership.

The gloom has taken a shift in the recent past with relevant stakeholders like youth from the communities, government, and private players all stepping up, discussing viable solutions, promoting innovation and emphasising the need to present sustainable solutions against water & wastewater challenges.

Sustainable Management of Water in India: In India, the future of water hinges on our ability to adopt the circular model, offering a holistic and integrated approach towards water management. Unlike the traditional linear approach, a circular economy emphasises reducing waste, reusing resources, and recycling materials to create a closed-loop system. In the context of water management, this means treating wastewater to high standards and reusing it for various purposes, such as industrial processes, agricultural irrigation, and landscape maintenance. Thus, significantly reducing the demand for freshwater resources and ensuring treated water gets reintegrated into the supply cycle.

A Blend of Factors to Achieve Water Management

The nation’s urban development cannot be chalked down and implemented by a single entity especially for a country like ours with a huge geographic scale.

Learnings and the Road Ahead: Despite the global threat that water presents, every nation adapts to an approach more suited to its people and developmental needs. The urban development has picked up momentum in recent decades. We need to balance development ambitions and ensure the essentials. A practical way to fix that is by building a resilient water ecosystem that supports our growing urban needs and contributes towards the holistic vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047.

(The writer is the CEO of Suez India; views are personal)