If Singapore, which has limited resources of fresh water within its territory, can become more or less water-secure, why cannot most States in India with multiple fresh and replenishable sources? However, instead of making optimal use, petty politics takes precedence in any decision about equitable sharing of rivers waters. The dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over sharing Cauvery water is longstanding; interventions by the highest court will not resolve it.

As they do in Singapore, cities and towns across India need to take steps to reuse waste water. The Central Pollution Control Board estimates that urban centres with a population of 50,000 or more together produce 38,255 million litres of waste water a day; of this, just about 11,788 million litres are treated for reuse.

A PwC India knowledge paper estimates there are 522 operational sewage treatment plants with installed capacity to treat 18,883 million litres a day. And these numbers are somewhat dated. Yet, not much is known to have changed over the last few years. It is worrying that waste water generated by urban centres may cross 100,000 million litres a day by 2050 and that from rural areas about 50,000 million litres. With the population escalating and migration to urban areas accelerating, the demand for fresh water as well as the production of the waste water is only set to climb.

Policymakers must act urgently to ensure treating of waste water becomes a norm and encourage its use for non-potable purposes by municipal corporations and industry. There are some initiatives already under way — it is an element of the Clean Ganga Mission and of the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation,intended to make cities and town more livable. Industry too needs to be proactive in treating and reusing waste water rather than drilling deeper into the earth to extract it.

Senior Deputy Editor

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