On the front burner

Prioritising drinking water source sustainability, mix-up of nutrient cycle and reuse of treated biosolids and wastewater need attention

There is an urgent need to develop a common understanding of emerging rural water supply and sanitation priorities in India. It is also critical to ensure that we avoid falling into the trap of doing what comes easy and forgetting the larger purpose and core challenges.

Several priorities were identified in a national workshop August 2022 during the release of a compendium of success stories on water, greywater and faecal sludge management from rural India.

The workshop was held under the chairmanship of Vini Mahajan, secretary of the department of drinking water and sanitation under the Union Jal Shakti ministry, along with non-profit Centre for Science and Environment Director General Sunita Narain.

Prioritising drinking water source sustainability is one of the essential priorities identified. Unfortunately, it is narrowly defined as protecting water sources in the immediate vicinity. The larger dimensions are often leftout.

Source sustainability also needs to be made a convergence priority. The sustainability of our drinking water sources is a significant challenge today in light of the increasing water stress, conflict over the competing use of water for agriculture and industry and the imminent climate change crisis.

The increasing intensity of water use and water stress resulting from climate change will impact source sustainability. Assessment of source sustainability and developing measures for improving source sustainability will require convergence of programmes, policy and environmental safeguards and legislation.

We also need capacity building and learning collateral for promoting source sustainability. The attitude and approach of many engineering para-state institutions and implementing agencies are still focused on water supply, not source sustainability.