Lok Sabha Question No. 90 (STARRED), answered on 2017-02-08
Subject: Desalination Plants
Ministry: EARTH SCIENCES
Asked by: HEMANT TUKARAM GODSE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION No. *90

## TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 08, 2017

## DESALINATION PLANTS

- *90. SHRI GODSE HEMANT TUKARAM:

Will the Minister of EARTH SCIENCES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has formulated any scheme to set up a large number of desalination plants in the coastal areas of the country for producing drinking water from sea water;
- (b) if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  time  by  which  the  said scheme is likely to be implemented;
- (c) the  per  litre  cost  of  drinking  water  so  produced  from  these plants;
- (d) the places/locations where desalination plants have been set up  and  made  operational  along  with  those  planned  for  the future; and
- (e) the  steps  taken  to  popularise  the  technology  to  convert  sea water into potable water?

MINISTER FOR MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND

## ANSWER MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES (Dr. HARSH VARDHAN)

(a) TO (e): A STATEMENT IS LAID ON THE TABLE OF THE HOUSE.

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (e) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *90 REGARDING DESALINATION PLANTS FOR ANSWER ON 8 th  FEBRUARY, 2017.

- (a) No, Madam.
- (b) Ministry  of  Earth  Sciences  has  no  scheme  as  of  now  to  set  up  a large  number  of  desalination  plants  in  the  coastal  areas  of  the country for producing drinking water from sea water. However, three desalination plants have been developed and demonstrated, based on  the  Low  Temperature  Thermal  Desalination  (LTTD)  technology indigenously by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), an autonomous body of the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
- (c) The cost per liter of  desalination  would  depend  on  the  technology used  and  cost  of  electricity  which  varies  from  place  to  place. According to the cost estimates made by an independent agency for LTTD  technology,  the  operational  costs  per  litre  of  desalinated potable water is about 61 paise for island based plants.
- (d) Three  desalination  plants,  based  on  LTTD  technology  have  been successfully commissioned by NIOT one each at Kavaratti, Minicoy, and  Agatti  islands  of  the  Union  Territory  of  Lakshadweep.  The capacity of each of these LTTD plants is 1 lakh litre of potable water per day. One experimental LTTD plant using condenser waste heat from  power  plant  was  set  up  at  North  Chennai  Thermal  Power Station  (NCTPS).  The  Lakshadweep  Administration  requested  for setting up of similar LTTD plants of 1 lakh litre of potable water per day capacity in remaining six islands. The Ministry of Drinking Water and  Sanitation  is  dealing  with  this  request.  NIOT  is  providing technical support for the implementation.
- (e) Information  about  the  desalination  program  and  technology  has been  disseminated  through  newspapers,  pamphlets,  websites  and annual reports of Ministry of Earth Sciences and National Institute of Ocean Technology. The models of LTTD plants setup by NIOT are displaced in all the major exhibitions and important science forums.
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