WATER CONSERVATION

WASTE WATER MANAGEMENT

Water pollution is a persistent problem in India. In fact, as per a new study based on an evaluation of environment impact on 179 countries, conducted by researchers in Harvard, Princeton, Adelaide University & University of Singapore, India was ranked third for water pollution.

India, which has always been rich in its water resources, has been facing some serious water shortages lately. The fact that a large amount of untreated domestic sewage, industrial effluents & affected water from chemical-intensive agricultural farms go without treatment has been adding up to the shortage.

As per the report by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, the per capita availability of water in India has been reduced from 5277 cubic meters in 1995 to 1970 cubic meters in 2010. This figure is projected to further slump down to about 1000-1700 by 2025, making India’s water condition critical. The report says that the demand for water continues to grow & will grow by 40% from 750 billion cubic meters (bcm) currently to 1050 bcm by 2025.

Despite the current situation, about 90% of the total wastewater in India continues to be discharged without any treatment. About 1.3 billion liters of raw sewage & 250 million liters of industrial effluent is added to the Ganges every day, states the report.