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Water pollution in India is a pressing issue, with the country facing a water crisis due to a combination of factors such as population growth, industrial activity, agricultural practices, insufficient investment in treatment facilities, and socioeconomic factors. The Indian government has implemented initiatives to address water pollution and increase access to safe water and sanitation. These include the National Water Policy, which encourages community participation and decentralizes water management, and the Ganga Action Plan, aimed at cleaning up the Ganges River. Additionally, the World Bank has supported the government's efforts to rejuvenate the Ganga River and improve water supply and sanitation in rural and urban areas. Other measures include exploring alternative wastewater treatment technologies, such as Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Systems (DEWATS) and Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD), and partnering with organizations like Water.org to empower millions with access to safe water. Despite these efforts, water pollution persists, and further action is needed to address the underlying causes and ensure sustainable water management in India.
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What You'll Learn
- The World Bank has supported the Indian government's efforts to rejuvenate the Ganga River since 2011
- Decentralised Wastewater Treatment Systems (DEWATS) have been adopted in some parts of India
- The government has encouraged Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) at some large industrial plants
- NGOs, pressure groups, eco-clubs, and citizens' movements have been active in their task to clean the Yamuna river
- The World Bank has supported the state government in ensuring that rural families receive a dependable supply of piped water
The World Bank has supported the Indian government's efforts to rejuvenate the Ganga River since 2011
The World Bank has been supporting the Indian government's efforts to rejuvenate the Ganga River since 2011 through the ongoing National Ganga River Basin Project. In 2011, the World Bank approved a US$1 billion credit and loan as part of its long-term support for the government's Mission Clean Ganga, which aimed to rejuvenate India's iconic river. The Ganga accounts for a quarter of the country's water resources, and its basin is home to more than 400 million Indians, many of whom revere it as a living goddess.
The World Bank's National Ganga River Basin Project has helped build the capacity of the National Ganga River Basin Authority's (NGRBA) new operational institutions to manage the Ganga clean-up and conservation program. The project has also helped fund priority investments critical for reducing pollution in the river, such as building sewage treatment infrastructure in several riverside towns and cities.
In 2020, the World Bank enhanced its support for the Indian government's program to rejuvenate the Ganga River with a $400 million operation. This includes a loan of $381 million and a proposed guarantee of up to $19 million. The Second National Ganga River Basin Project (SNGRBP) will support the government's Namami Gange program and its long-term vision for controlling pollution in the river and restoring its water quality. The SNGRBP will finance sewage networks and treatment plants in select urban areas to help control pollution discharges. These infrastructure investments will also help India's economic recovery from the COVID-19 crisis.
The World Bank's support has helped build critical sewage infrastructure in 20 pollution hotspots along the river, and the new project will help scale this up to the tributaries. It will also help the government strengthen the institutions needed to manage a river basin as large and complex as the Ganga Basin. The Ganga Basin covers a quarter of India's landmass and is a critical economic and environmental resource for the country. It provides over one-third of India's surface water and includes the country's largest irrigated area.
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Decentralised Wastewater Treatment Systems (DEWATS) have been adopted in some parts of India
DEWATS requires few operational and maintenance skills. Regular cleaning can be conducted depending on the quantity of oil and grease generated, or in the case of overflow, backflow, or foul smell. The primary treatment consists of sedimentation ponds, settlers, septic tanks, or biodigesters. The secondary treatment consists of anaerobic baffled reactors, anaerobic filters, or anaerobic and facultative pond systems. Post-treatment consists of aerobic polishing ponds.
There are several technological systems available under DEWATS that can be implemented in accordance with local needs. Some common methods widely used as DEWATS technology in India include constructed wetlands, activated sludge processes, waste stabilisation ponds, and USAB (anaerobic digesters), along with the extended aeration process, moving bed biofilm reactors, sequential batch reactors, membrane bioreactors, bio-towers, and anaerobic baffled wall reactors. The outcome of this is an overall removal efficiency of 85-90% of contaminants and heavy metals from wastewater.
DEWATS in India faces challenges, as they are unable to meet the effluent standards. Lack of community participation and the delay in adopting technology-specific regulations for maintenance are some of the issues faced. However, with the proper combination of higher water tariffs, stronger enforcement, and rewards for early adopters, DEWATS may gain traction in India.
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The government has encouraged Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) at some large industrial plants
India has been facing a water crisis, with its major cities producing 38,354 million litres per day (MLD) of sewage, while the urban sewage treatment capacity is only 11,786 MLD. The country's water bodies are severely polluted due to the discharge of domestic sewage and wastewater. To tackle this issue, the government has encouraged Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) at some large industrial plants, such as Unilever and P&G.
ZLD is a water treatment process that aims to eliminate liquid waste from industries that release highly polluted wastewater, such as the fertiliser sector and distilleries. It involves treating wastewater through various methods, including reverse osmosis, evaporation, and crystallization, to separate water from solids. The treated water can then be reused for industrial or domestic applications, helping to reduce the strain on freshwater resources.
The implementation of ZLD in India has been driven by the country's efforts to protect its rivers and lakes from industrial pollution. The Ganges River, considered sacred by Hindus, has been a major focus of the ZLD initiative. With over 2,000,000 people bathing in the river daily, the pollution poses a significant health risk. The World Bank has supported the Indian government's efforts to rejuvenate the Ganga River since 2011, investing in projects to build the necessary infrastructure for effective sewage treatment and management.
While the adoption of ZLD has been hindered by high installation costs and challenges in processing large amounts of dissolved solids, it offers multiple benefits. ZLD helps reduce water consumption, minimize environmental impact, and promote corporate responsibility. It also enables the recovery of resources from wastewater, such as solids that can be resold or reused, demonstrating good economics and environmental stewardship.
The Indian government's encouragement of ZLD at large industrial plants is a significant step towards addressing water pollution and ensuring safe water supplies for the future. By treating and reusing wastewater, these plants contribute to reducing the strain on freshwater resources and improving environmental sustainability.
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NGOs, pressure groups, eco-clubs, and citizens' movements have been active in their task to clean the Yamuna river
The Yamuna River, sacred to Hindus and worshipped as the 'Goddess Yamuna', is a vital source of water for the millions of people living in the cities it flows through. However, it is also severely polluted with plastic, chemicals, and untreated sewage. The river, which flows through seven states, has been described as "Delhi's dying holy river".
NGOs, pressure groups, eco-clubs, and citizens' movements have been actively working to clean up the Yamuna River and address the pressing environmental concerns surrounding it. One such initiative is the "Voicing Yamuna" campaign, organised by Hari Koshish in collaboration with the Global Peace Foundation (GPF), ThriveTogether NGO, and We Rise Together NGO. This campaign involves various schools, colleges, and community groups, fostering community engagement and empowering the youth to take responsibility for their environment. The cleanup drives organised by these groups have resulted in the collection of significant amounts of waste, including plastic bottles, polythene bags, and other non-biodegradable materials.
Earth5R is another organisation that has taken on the task of cleaning the Yamuna River. Their volunteers have been shocked by the lifeless state of the river and have actively worked to clean up the area, collecting bags of plastic and other rubbish. They have also implemented a circular economy model by involving local rag pickers in the clean-up process, allowing them to recycle the waste and earn a livelihood.
In addition to these efforts, citizens' groups have also taken charge of grassroots movements to clean the banks of the Yamuna River. On Swachhta Diwas, October 2nd, a citizens' group met near the banks of the Yamuna equipped with gloves, bags, and brooms. They collected various types of garbage, including plastic, metal, industrial and medical waste, and construction debris. The YSS Foundation, which conducted this cleanliness drive, has been working under the Clean Yamuna Mission for three years, with volunteers cleaning a small section of the riverbank each week.
Despite these dedicated efforts, the magnitude of the pollution problem facing the Yamuna River remains a challenge. The river's health is impacted by untreated sewage, solid waste discharge, and encroachments on its floodplains. To effectively address the issue, there is a need for collaboration between various stakeholders, including urban local bodies, irrigation and pollution departments, and NGOs. Additionally, educational programs and awareness campaigns are crucial to encourage people to stop dumping waste into the river and adopt more sustainable practices.
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The World Bank has supported the state government in ensuring that rural families receive a dependable supply of piped water
India is one of the world's most water-stressed countries, with 18% of the global population but only 4% of the world's water resources. The World Bank has been supporting the state government in ensuring that rural families receive a dependable supply of piped water in their homes, at a price that even low-income households can afford. The World Bank's projects have benefited over 20 million people, with a total financing of $1.2 billion.
The World Bank has helped the state government pilot innovative schemes to conserve groundwater. For example, in the agrarian state of Punjab, where tubewell irrigation is causing the groundwater table to fall drastically, the World Bank supported the Punjab Municipal Services Improvement Project, helping two large cities shift to surface water sources, such as local canals. The project is expected to benefit more than 3 million people by 2026 and an estimated 5 million by 2055.
The World Bank has also supported the government's efforts to bring clean drinking water to rural communities. In the mountain state of Uttarakhand, the World Bank-financed Uttarakhand Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project helped over 1.57 million people by improving sustainable rural water supply and sanitation services across underserved areas. The project included the construction of new infrastructure and the rehabilitation of existing schemes.
In the southern state of Karnataka, the World Bank-supported Karnataka Water Supply Improvement Project helped pilot a 24/7 water supply in the three water-stressed cities of Hubbali-Dharwad, Belagavi and Kalaburgi. The project included the construction of a drinking water distribution network and the installation of water meters in rural households, with the aim of providing functioning tap water connections to every rural household in the state. The World Bank's Program will also support the state government to introduce policies and result-based initiatives that are expected to improve the overall operational efficiency in the delivery of rural water supply services.
The World Bank has also been supporting the Government of India's efforts to rejuvenate the Ganga River since 2011. Two World Bank projects, worth $1 billion, are helping set up the institutions needed to manage the river and build the infrastructure to keep it clean. By building and maintaining sewage treatment plants and a network of drains, sewage water from houses in several cities now gets treated before reaching the river.
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Frequently asked questions
Water pollution in India is caused by a combination of factors, including industrial activity, agricultural practices, sewage discharge, and socioeconomic factors such as income, population, urbanization, and illiteracy.
The Indian government has implemented several initiatives to address water pollution, including:
- The Ganga Action Plan, launched in 1984, aimed at cleaning up the Ganges River.
- The establishment of the NRGBA under the Environment Protection Act to declare the Ganges as the "National River" and protect it.
- The revision of the National Water Policy in 2002 to encourage community participation and decentralize water management.
- The construction of sewage treatment plants and drainage networks to treat sewage water before it reaches rivers like the Ganga.
- The promotion of Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) to eliminate liquid waste from highly polluting industries.
- Efforts to provide piped water connections to all households by 2024.
To further reduce water pollution in India, the following actions can be taken:
- Strengthen state pollution control boards with adequate technical and human resources to enforce effluent standards and regulate industrial activity.
- Construct adequate sewage treatment facilities and charge proper prices for water to maintain treatment plants.
- Explore alternative treatment technologies like Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Systems (DEWATS) and natural wetlands for removing organic waste, nutrients, and microbes from wastewater.
- Preserve and restore riparian zones, the vegetation around water bodies, to act as natural barriers that filter pollutants and prevent soil erosion.
- Encourage the reuse and recycling of treated wastewater in agriculture and industry to reduce the strain on groundwater resources.
