The National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi is spread over 1483 sq. km supporting a population of 167.87 lakh as per Census, 2011. A review of the water demand for the state highlights a 25 per cent deficit.1 Around 50 per cent of the raw water supply comes from neighbouring states, and this supply is curtailed in the summer months to meet the requirements of their respective states. Surface water quality is often compromised due to the release of solid waste and sewage, and indiscriminate groundwater withdrawals beyond the recharge capacity have also compromised groundwater quality. The inadequate water availability is further compounded by water distribution losses of up to 40 per cent of the water supplied. Water is a vital resource for human sustenance. There is a strong co-relation with water availability and human health and hygiene, and ingestion of contaminated water and detrimental short-term and long-term health impacts. Human and economic well-being is intrinsically linked with water and thus makes an extreme case for taking concerted actions to promote and conserve this precious resource. One avenue that needs to be strongly promoted in this direction is wastewater reuse.
Wastewater treatment and reuse are recognized as a win-win proposition, as it increases net water availability and decreases dependence on surface and or ground water. Wastewater use can add new revenue streams to wastewater treatment, particularly in recurring or chronic water scarcity situations. The recovery of nutrients such as phosphorus, nitrogen, and energy can add significant new value streams to improve cost recovery.
This story is from the February 2022 edition of TerraGreen.
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This story is from the February 2022 edition of TerraGreen.
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