A staggering 72 per cent of India’s urban wastewater remains untreated, presenting both a challenge and an opportunity for addressing the nation’s growing water crisis.
The reuse of treated wastewater could significantly ease water shortages in urban areas, according to the report Waste to Worth: Managing India’s Urban Water Crisis through Wastewater Reuse, released jointly by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG).
The report, unveiled at a national workshop co-organised by CSE and NMCG under the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti (water resources), highlights the potential of wastewater reuse to mitigate water scarcity caused by rapid urbanisation, industrial expansion and climate change. Speaking at the event, Sunita Narain, director-general of CSE, stressed the critical need to adopt wastewater reuse as a sustainable strategy:
“India faces significant water scarcity challenges due to rapid urbanisation, industrial growth, population expansion — and most importantly — climate change. Wastewater reuse can be a key part of the strategy to address these concerns and promote water circularity and sustainability.”
