Lok Sabha Question No. 4193 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-08-11
Subject: Wastage of Water by Industries
Ministry: WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANAGA REJUVENATION
Asked by: RAJESHBHAI NARANBHAI CHUDASAMA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4193

ANSWERED ON 11.08.2016

## WASTAGE OF WATER BY INDUSTRIES

## 4193. SHRI RAJESHBHAI CHUDASAMA

Will the Minister of WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANGA REJUVENATION be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government is considering to put a check on the wastage of water by industries, if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether the Government is considering to take any steps in this regard; and

(c) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE  MINISTER  OF  STATE  FOR  WATER  RESOURCES,  RIVER  DEVELOPMENT  AND  GANGA REJUVENATION (DR. SANJEEV KUMAR BALYAN)

(a)  to  (c)  Water  being  a  State  Subject,  State  Governments  take  necessary  measures  for  development  and management of water resources, including measures for water use efficiency.

Central  Water  Commission  and  Central  Ground  Water  Board  have  prepared  the  "General  Guidelines  for Water  Audit  &  Water  Conservation"  in  December,  2005  as  conceptual  guidelines  to  cover  broadly  three main sectors of water use viz. irrigation, domestic and industrial. The aims and objectives of these guidelines are to introduce, standardize and popularize the water audit system for conservation of water in all sectors of water  use  and  improve  the  water  use  efficiency.  These  guidelines  were  circulated  among  all  the  State Governments for facilitating formulation of their own region, project, system and service specific guidelines. Central Water Commission has subsequently also prepared "Guidelines for Improving Water Use Efficiency in Irrigation, Domestic & Industrial Sectors", in 2014.

The National Water Policy, 2012 has recognized the importance of water use efficiency and has inter-alia made the following recommendations in this regard:

- i) Given the limits on enhancing the availability of utilizable water resources and increased variability in supplies due to climate change, meeting the future needs will depend more on demand management, and hence, this needs to be given priority, especially through (a) evolving an agricultural system which economizes on water use and maximizes value from water, and (b) bringing in maximum efficiency in use of water and avoiding wastages.
2. ii) Water quality and quantity are interlinked and need to be managed in an integrated manner, consistent with broader environmental  management  approaches  inter-alia  including  the  use  of  economic incentives and penalties to reduce pollution and wastage.
3. iii) In order to meet equity, efficiency and economy principles, the water charges should preferably / as a rule be determined on volumetric basis. Such charges should be reviewed periodically.
4. iv) Recycle and reuse of water, after treatment to specified standards, should also be incentivized through a properly planned tariff system.
- v) The principle of differential pricing may be retained for the pre-emptive uses of water for drinking and sanitation;  and  high  priority  allocation  for  ensuring  food  security  and  supporting  livelihood  for  the poor.  Available  water,  after  meeting  the  above  needs,  should  increasingly  be  subjected  to  allocation and  pricing  on  economic  principles  so  that  water  is  not  wasted  in  unnecessary  uses  and  could  be utilized more gainfully.
6. vi) Industries in water short regions may be allowed to either withdraw only the make up water or should have  an  obligation  to  return  treated  effluent  to  a  specified  standard  back  to  the  hydrologic  system. Tendencies to unnecessarily use more water within the plant to avoid treatment or to pollute ground water need to be prevented.
7. vii) Subsidies  and  incentives  should  be  implemented  to  encourage  recovery  of  industrial  pollutants  and recycling / reuse, which are otherwise capital intensive.

The National Water Policy, 2012 has been circulated to all States for implementation

Central  Government  has  launched  National  Water  Mission  with  the  objective  of  'conservation  of  water, minimizing  wastage  and  ensuring  its  more  equitable  distribution  both  across  and  within  States  through integrated water resources development and management'. Strategies have been recommended for increasing water use efficiency across different sectors, including industrial.

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