Monday, July 20, 2015

JICA organized workshop on recycle and reuse of the treated municipal wastewater for non-potable use


The workshop brought together various ministries, public water service organizations and other stakeholders to arrive at guidance note on recycled-water quality, treatment-technology, distribution and usages

New Delhi, July 20 2015: The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) today organized a national workshop on recycle and reuse of municipal wastewater for non-potable use, to facilitate judicious use of fresh water and mitigate river pollution. The workshop brought together various stakeholders for exchange of perspectives with the aim to develop a consensus encompassing regulations, water quality standards, monitoring mechanisms and economically viable implementation frameworks for municipal sewage water-recycling projects. The participants included Ministry of Urban Development, National River Conservation Directorate of Ministry of Environment & Forests, National Mission for Clean Ganga of Ministry of Water Resource, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Delhi Jal Board, research institutes and private international companies, among others.

Industrialization accompanying urbanization and economic growth has resulted in increasing demand for water, straining the current management and treatment of industrial and domestic wastewater, and polluting water sources such as lakes, rivers and aquifers. There is dwindling of fresh water resources and over-exploitation of ground water, making it difficult to meet the increasing water needs for industrial, commercial and domestic use. According to the 2011 Census, between 2001 & 2011 India’s urban population increased by 32% to 377 million, and the average annual per capita water availability decreased from 1,816 cubic meter in 2001 to 1,545 cubic meter in 2011, which could reduce to an estimated 1,000 cubic meter by the year 2025. According to the Falkenmark Water Stress Indicator, a country or region is facing “water scarcity” when the annual per capita water availability is below 1,000 cubic meter.

To augment deficient water resources, innovative solutions such as rainwater harvesting and recycle and reuse of wastewater are required. It is estimated that wastewater generated in urban areas is 42,000 million liters (approx 42 million cubic meter) per day which can potentially be recycled. Many urban, commercial and industrial uses for such areas as irrigation of landscape, recreational field and golf course, industrial cooling and processes, and building construction can be met with the water of less quality than potable water. In fact, the United Nations had promulgated in 1958 that “no higher quality water, unless there is a surplus of it, should be used for a purpose that can tolerate a lower grade.”

JICA has promoted an integrated water resources management approach, which includes recycle and reuse options, to provide savings in fresh water and increase its availability for potable purposes. Some of the water recycling projects JICA has been supporting include reuse of treated water for use of cooling of power plant under Yamuna Action Plan in Delhi and for horticulture under Hussain Sagar Lake Improvement Project in Hyderabad.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Tomohide Ichiguchi, Senior Representative, JICA India said, “Wastewater needs to be viewed as a valuable supplementary source for various non-potable applications, for sustainable water availability from conservation of scarce water resources. Recycle and reuse of the municipal wastewater is an internationally established practice and is practiced extensively in Japan to meet a variety of water demands through safe and economic means, which also represents a judicious use of available resources.”

JICA is currently conducting a study to prepare guidance note for implementing water recycle and reuse projects, including quality standards for recycled water, required treatment, storage and distribution systems, tariff vis-à-vis potable water and so on. JICA has been organizing a series of such workshops across India to gather information as part of the study.

About JICA
Established as an independent administrative institution, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) aims to contribute to the promotion of international cooperation. JICA works as a bridge between Japan and emerging countries and provides assistance in form of loan, grant and technical cooperation so that the emerging countries can strengthen their capabilities.

JICA India Office Web: http://www.jica.go.jp/india/english/

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