The Hindu Business Line : UK group sees big biz avenues in water sector

Hyderabad, Sept. 21 An advisory group of the UK Trade and Investment has projected a huge opportunity in revamping the water distribution systems in order to plug leakages.

The Water Sector Advisory Group (WSAG) offers the expertise of private companies in the UK in developing strategies and models to improve water and sewerage systems.

Water losses

“Non revenue water (or water that is lost) accounts for 40-50 per cent of the total water supplied by the water boards,” Mr Tony Allum, Chairman of WSAG, told Business Line.

The group advises the British Government on its strategy and activities to develop business for the UK firms in the water and waste water sectors.

The losses were not peculiar to the Indian cities. “We used to have similar losses when we started the privatisation process. We are able to progressively reduce the losses,” he said.

India could aim at reducing the losses to 20-25 per cent. He, however, said that it would not happen overnight. “This will take, say, two years. But achieving this is not an end. You need to put in place systems to sustain this,” he said.

Technologies showcased

Mr Allum is leading a delegation of WSAG to India, presenting various technologies and models developed in the UK, for betterment of water sector infrastructure.

The UK began privatising the water sector in England and Wales in the eighties. Admitting that the process had not been a smooth one, Mr Allum said: “We have learned from the mistakes. We can tell them where we have faltered.”

“We have developed certain models. We can help the civic bodies in evolving public-private partnerships in improving the water distribution systems,” he said.

The group had begun talking to local Governments and stakeholders in India in December last to understand their requirements. It held meetings in Mumbai and Delhi. This year, the delegation visited Kolkata and Hyderabad.