White Paper on 'Urban Wastewater Scenario in India' | Economic Survey & Government Reports - UPSC PDF Download

 Page 1


URBAN
WASTEWATER
SCENARIO
IN INDIA
Almost 80% of water supply ows back into the ecosystem as wastewater. This can be a 
critical environmental and health hazard if not treated properly but its proper 
management could help the water managers in meeting the city’s water demand. 
Currently, India has the capacity to treat approximately 37% of its wastewater, or 
22,963 million litres per day (MLD), against a daily sewage generation of approximately 
61,754 MLD according to the 2015 report of the Central Pollution Control Board. 
Moreover, most sewage treatment plants do not function at maximum capacity and do 
not conform to the standards prescribed.
Page 2


URBAN
WASTEWATER
SCENARIO
IN INDIA
Almost 80% of water supply ows back into the ecosystem as wastewater. This can be a 
critical environmental and health hazard if not treated properly but its proper 
management could help the water managers in meeting the city’s water demand. 
Currently, India has the capacity to treat approximately 37% of its wastewater, or 
22,963 million litres per day (MLD), against a daily sewage generation of approximately 
61,754 MLD according to the 2015 report of the Central Pollution Control Board. 
Moreover, most sewage treatment plants do not function at maximum capacity and do 
not conform to the standards prescribed.
Page 3


URBAN
WASTEWATER
SCENARIO
IN INDIA
Almost 80% of water supply ows back into the ecosystem as wastewater. This can be a 
critical environmental and health hazard if not treated properly but its proper 
management could help the water managers in meeting the city’s water demand. 
Currently, India has the capacity to treat approximately 37% of its wastewater, or 
22,963 million litres per day (MLD), against a daily sewage generation of approximately 
61,754 MLD according to the 2015 report of the Central Pollution Control Board. 
Moreover, most sewage treatment plants do not function at maximum capacity and do 
not conform to the standards prescribed.
URBAN WASTEWATER 
SCENARIO IN INDIA
SEPTEMBER 2022
Page 4


URBAN
WASTEWATER
SCENARIO
IN INDIA
Almost 80% of water supply ows back into the ecosystem as wastewater. This can be a 
critical environmental and health hazard if not treated properly but its proper 
management could help the water managers in meeting the city’s water demand. 
Currently, India has the capacity to treat approximately 37% of its wastewater, or 
22,963 million litres per day (MLD), against a daily sewage generation of approximately 
61,754 MLD according to the 2015 report of the Central Pollution Control Board. 
Moreover, most sewage treatment plants do not function at maximum capacity and do 
not conform to the standards prescribed.
URBAN WASTEWATER 
SCENARIO IN INDIA
SEPTEMBER 2022
Page 5


URBAN
WASTEWATER
SCENARIO
IN INDIA
Almost 80% of water supply ows back into the ecosystem as wastewater. This can be a 
critical environmental and health hazard if not treated properly but its proper 
management could help the water managers in meeting the city’s water demand. 
Currently, India has the capacity to treat approximately 37% of its wastewater, or 
22,963 million litres per day (MLD), against a daily sewage generation of approximately 
61,754 MLD according to the 2015 report of the Central Pollution Control Board. 
Moreover, most sewage treatment plants do not function at maximum capacity and do 
not conform to the standards prescribed.
URBAN WASTEWATER 
SCENARIO IN INDIA
SEPTEMBER 2022
Contents
Foreword ................................................................................................................................... ix
Message ................................................................................................................................... xi
Message ..................................................................................................................................xiii
Message .................................................................................................................................. xv
Message .................................................................................................................................xvii
Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................xix
List of contributors ....................................................................................................................xxi
Abbreviations ......................................................................................................................... xxiii
1. Executive Summary ..........................................................................................1
2. Introduction .....................................................................................................3
2.1. Urban wastewater as a growing global challenge ..................................................... 3
2.2. India’s wastewater scenario ...................................................................................... 6
2.3 Structure of the white paper ........................................................................................ 8
3.  Current scenario of Urban Wastewater Management (UWM) in India –  
An Overview ...................................................................................................11
3.1 Policy and legal regulatory framework for UWM ....................................................... 11
3.2  Institutional arrangements/organizational set-up–Roles and responsibilities .............. 12
3.3 Current technologies and practices in UWM ............................................................ 14
3.4 Limitations and challenges ..................................................................................... 20
4.  Global innovative, cost-effective and sustainable solutions for UWM .............29
4.1 Decentralized approach for UWM ........................................................................... 29
4.2 Nature-based Solutions ........................................................................................... 31
4.3 Innovative applications for wastewater treatment and reuse ................................... 42
4.4 Reuse of treated wastewater ................................................................................... 48
4.5  Approaches for promotion and adoption of sustainable UWM solutions ................... 50
5. Capacity building and raising awareness for UWM ........................................55
5.1 Trainings and knowledge transfer/exchange ............................................................ 55
5.2 Improving institutional and international collaboration ............................................. 55
5.3 Sensitization of the public ....................................................................................... 58
6.  Learning from case studies by National Mission for Clean Ganga, India ........63
6.1  Institutional arrangement of the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) ............ 64
6.2 Current technologies and practices for UWM .......................................................... 65
6.3  Approaches for promotion and adoption of the sustainable UWM solutions ............. 67
6.4 Innovative applications and technological solutions for UWM .................................. 67
7. The Way Forward ............................................................................................71
References ...........................................................................................................73
URBAN WASTEWATER SCENARIO IN INDIA iii