Posted on August 5, 2015
The alarm bells have been ringing in India over a water crisis for decades. Are we finally reaching a point where India is ready and willing to address its water issues?
By Prathmesh Barar, Principal Consultant (Technology) – Global Hydrogeological Solutions
The question that all policy makers in India, working toward finding a solution to the country’s water and sanitation problems, need to ask: Is India really water stressed? Or is the media blowing the issue out of proportion, crafting an unrealistically scary narrative in our minds?
What is the way forward for us as a country to find solutions to our problems? Is it cutting through the red tape or finding an innovative approach to address the challenge, or maybe both?
The first time I got involved in the water industry in India was 27 years ago. Back then, there was a “serious” problem of water. Almost 3 decades down the road, the alarm bells are still ringing!
The Real Issue
I oversaw setting up of the first project for sewage recycling in India back in 1992. Twenty three years later, we still struggle to find water recycling plants in the country.
I passionately believe that wastewater recycling is one of the best ways to mitigate the demand for fresh water in our country. After speaking to countless water professionals and industry experts, I have come to the conclusion that all said and done, the water shortage in India is our own creation and can be resolved with focus and dedication.
I recently visited an affluent village in Haryana. Over the last decade, the population has grown exponentially to nearly 25,000 today, with swanky SUVs parked on every street. The underground water there is saline so everyone drinks bottled water. There are 5 natural ponds in the village and all the wastewater finds its way into these ponds. When the population was small, the natural processes reduced contaminants to a manageable level. Today however, these same ponds are highly polluted: clothes are regularly washed on the banks of the ponds, animals frequently bathe there, and children occasionally swim in the same waters.
Here was the crudest form of wastewater recycling. The question that begs to be answered is why these highly affluent group of people are not concerned about hygiene? With technological solutions available to clean the water before it is discharged into the pond, why the apathy?
I was with a member of the panchayat and asked him this question: “Why were the villagers not concerned about this issue?” “Why were they willing to live in a stinking environment with such filth and squalor?”
The village panchayat committee member told me that they did not have an option. He said that several projects had been sanctioned but have yet to be implemented. We reached out to the concerned agencies but they said that “sanitation was not a priority”.
Addressing Reality
Possible solutions for the water crisis in India have ranged from the absurd (using polygamy, 3-wives to be exact), to serious (launching a national government funded #MyCleanIndia campaign). The latter seems to have been working. Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the SWACHH BHARAT ABHIYAN (Clean India Mission) campaign in 2014, the pace of work seems to have picked up; laying the sewage network for the village may get completed in a year or so!
I then asked, “What about treating the sewage before discharging into the ponds?” Because while it was important that the infrastructure be in place for sewage to be collected, it is just as important that it be treated before being discharged. Let’s just say that the response I received from the panchayat member was uncertain at best…
The reality of the situation is that the hype over the years has not produced the desired actions. The map below proves that sanitation has only gone from bad to worse. Hundreds of thousands die from preventable conditions each year, especially in the north, which has most of the open defecation.
If India is ever going to achieve its sanitation goals and truly improve the living standards of its people, it is imperative that we explore the reasons and possible solutions for the current situation. A few questions that come to mind:
- Do we need to educate the residents of the village on such matters and their rights as citizens of this country?
- Are the engineers of the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) aware of the possible technologies available to look at treatment solutions?
- Cities continue to receive all the attention and resources, but do state governments provide the funds necessary to solve such issues in villages?
- India fares worse on sanitation than a host of poorer places including Afghanistan, Burundi and Congo. Is building the necessary infrastructure all that is needed for India to resolve its sanitation problems, or is there a deeper cultural reason?
I look forward to some enlightening views on the subject…
