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Industry and Sustainable Water ManagementSunita NadhamuniCEO, Arghyam

+About Arghyam

Charitable Trust with an endowment from Rohini Nilekani

Working on domestic water since 2005 – Safe, sustainable water for all

Support grass-roots, community-based efforts by NGOs on sustainable water management. 80 projects in 18 States

Run the India Water Portal; also in Hindi Action research projects to improve governance,

promote transparency and accountability, develop decentralized models of water management

+Why water?

India - 16% of world’s population, 4% of available freshwater

Water is a common pool resource - has competing uses, is divisible, amenable to sharing, results in tradeoffs and high exclusion costs

Industrial + energy water demand to grow at 4.2% per year Industry - second largest consumer of water. 6 - 13% of

freshwater Urban & industrial sector will have huge implications on use

of water and discharge of waste

+Negotiating for water

In developing countries, 70% of industrial wastes are dumped without treatment, polluting the usable water supply. (WDR)

Each litre of wastewater discharged pollutes about 5–8 litres of water. Industrial water use ~ between 35–50% of the total water; not 7–8% (CSE)

Vicious cycle: peri-urban water -> urban consumption -> waste water -> pollutes peri-urban water -> reduced water availability

Lack of accountability - need for state-imposed regulations, strong community opposition

+Competing Demands Hirakud dam - irrigation, power generation, flood

control. Water allocation for industrial use reduced irrigation

water availability. Industrial water demand VS agricultural needs,

livelihoods Farmers asserted right over reservoir water in 2007

+Competing Demands Chalakudy, Kerala The hydro power reservoir in dam regulates the water

flow downstream. This regulation has adversely affected the drinking and

irrigation water needs of the downstream population Upstream-downstream conflicts

+Competing Demands Parabs in Kutchch Painstaking work by NGOs over years. Build local

capacities, revive local water bodies, frameworks for community management

Groundwater, streams restored Allocation for industrial purposes endangers fragile,

carefully nurtured system

+Future-proofing for water

The cost of water will only go up in these scenarios Future proofing - using as little water as possible

throughout supply chain Water cost - in cement, beverages, automobiles, pulp

and paper, power, engineering, chemicals and fertilizers - 0.15% to 1.3%. Product cost linked to water cost

CPCL petroleum refinery in Chennai recycles 1.4 million m3 of water per year, and uses the same. The liquid discharge of refinery is 0

+Low-water business opportunity

Great business opportunity in a low water economy. How to create the low cost low water filters pumps

meters, water efficient energy production units Water metering can help regulate water: Gandhigram

GP of Tamil Nadu Water treatment devices for industries as well as for

domestic areas: SBT RWH regulations in Bangalore has created a local

industry and innovation ecosystem in Bangalore

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There is a strong moral imperative We have intergenerational responsibilities

We have only one planet

THANK YOUsunita@arghyam.org

www.arghyam.org