Water Digest Organises Jal Sujalam: An International Summit on Wastewater as a Valuable Resource

Left to Right: Dr Sumit Kumar Gautam, Technical Expert – Support to Ganga Rejuvenation, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH; Shri Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, IAS, Former Director General – National Mission for Clean Ganga, and Chief Technical Advisor – National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA); Ms Archana Varma, IAS, Additional Secretary & Mission Director, National Water Mission, Department of Water Resources, River Development, & Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti; and Ms Anupama Madhok Sud, Director & Editor, Water Digest

New Delhi: Water experts and various representatives, who participated in Jal Sujalam – A Global Summit on Wastewater as a Resource” organised by Water Digest in the capital city on August 7, 2023 dwelled at length on ways establish a paradigm where used water is valued as a resource rather than being perceived as an inconvenience.

The entire spectrum of the water sector stakeholders got an opportunity to establish alliances, showcase cutting-edge technologies, disseminate best practices, and engage in an enriching discourse centred on the pivotal theme of ‘used water’ during the day-long summit.

The event was organised by Water Digest to give impetus to AMRUT 2.0 (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation) initiative of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India. The key partners included Odisha Lift Irrigation Corporation Ltd., NOIDA, Astral Pipes, WAPCOS Limited, South-Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL), Powergilt Treasuries, HNB Engineers Pvt. Ltd., and ANDRITZ. Bharat Express was the official TV partner of the summit.

Among those present at the inaugural session were Shri Somnath Bharti, Vice Chairman, Delhi Jal Board (DJB); Shri G. Asok Kumar, IAS, Director General, National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG); Shri Ajay Gupta, Member Drainage, Delhi Jal Board (DJB); and Ms Anupama Madhok Sud, Director & Editor, Water Digest. Shri A.B. Pandya, Secretary General, ICID, and Editor-in-Chief, Water Digest; Smt D. Thara, IAS, Additional Secretary (A&CV), Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA); Smt Keshni Anand Arora, IAS, Chairperson, Haryana Water Resources (Conservation, Regulation, and Management) Authority joined the session online through live video.

In his inaugural address, Shri Somnath Bharti shared the blueprint for transforming Delhi into a 24×7 city and a role model for other urban centres to emulate by describing the operations of 35 Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) in Delhi, which collectively process 547 MGD of sewage. Additionally, he emphasised innovative endeavours like the use of dual pipelines at Akshardham for using treated water. He concluded with an appeal to raise public awareness about the imperatives of conserving water for posterity.

Shri G. Asok Kumar urged all stakeholders to embrace the essence of responsible water management, thereby steering the discourse towards sustainable practices that safeguard the Ganga and its intrinsic vitality.

Shri A.B. Pandya’s address centred on the utilisation of our water resources with a deep sense of responsibility towards nature.

Smt. D. Thara called for the eradication of the stigma surrounding the use of treated sewage water.

Smt. Keshni Anand Arora talked about Haryana’s need to harness treated water extensively, noting that Gurugram is already reaping the benefits of incorporating 47% treated water in its operations.

Shri Ajay Gupta urged for a mode of groundwater extraction based upon regular monitoring and control, backed by stringent policies and awareness measures.

Ms. Anupama Madhok Sud, in her welcome address, articulated the evocative term “Sujalam,” symbolic of the idea to transform the narrative surrounding used water. She presented an overarching vision for this anticipated transformation, grounded in the twin pillars of ‘participation’ and ‘partnership’ which were the genesis of the Jal Sujalam summit.

Session-I, titled “Global Collaboration and Prospects in India’s Water Projects,” was presided over by Shri Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, IAS, Former Director General – National Mission for Clean Ganga, and Chief Technical Advisor – National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA). He spoke about the reality of sewage treatment disparities across G20 countries and concluded by underscoring the importance of ‘water quality’ over ‘water history’.

The panelists in this session, Dr Sumit Kumar Gautam, Technical Expert – Support to Ganga Rejuvenation, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH; and Dr Anitha Kumari Sharma, Sector Counsellor in Urban Development with a Focus on Water, Royal Danish Embassy in New Delhi, had a spirited exchange of insights and perspectives.

The highlight of this session was the special address by Ms Archana Varma, IAS, Additional Secretary & Mission Director, National Water Mission, Department of Water Resources, River Development, & Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti. She emphasised embracing intelligent consumption of water as a resource and further elaborated on the concrete initiatives encompassing state-specific action plans for ‘integrated water management’. This session’s overarching focus was to pinpoint and evaluate potential projects while leveraging global expertise.

Session-II, titled “Treatment, Recycling, and Reuse of Wastewater: Ingenious Technologies and Sustainable Facilities,” was chaired by Shri D.P. Mathuria, Executive Director – Technical, National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG). He underscored the commitment of missions like AMRUT and Namami Gange to ensure that no drop of water is left untreated.

The panelists in this session included Shri M. Dana Kishore, IAS, Managing Director, Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) who shared his thoughts through live video; Shri R.P. Singh, Deputy General Manager – Jal, New Okhla Industrial Development Authority (NOIDA); a representative from Haryana Water Resources (Conservation, Regulation, and Management) Authority – HWRA; Shri Manoj Dhar, VP – Sales & Marketing, Government Projects, Astral Ltd; Shri Manish Gandhi, Senior VP, Ion Exchange India Ltd; and Shri Vaibhav Goel, COO, Hyper Filtration Pvt Ltd.

Shri M. Dana Kishore presented the case of Hyderabad and its achievement as the first Indian city to attain 100% sewage treatment coverage.

Shri R.P. Singh explained the manifold applications of used water in Noida, including landscaping, irrigation, and the construction sector, and illustrated the integration of treated water in builders’ construction activities, contributing 40 to 50 MLD daily. He projected the utilisation goals of 120 MLD of recycled water within a year.

The session was a testament to the integration of smart technologies and sustainable practices to optimise treatment processes and enhance recycling outputs.

Session-III focused on “Resource Recovery from Effluent and Sludge Management: Facilitating the Circular Economy.” The chair for this session was Shri R.S. Tyagi, Expert Advisor – National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), and Ex-Member – Delhi Jal Board (DJB). He underscored the transformative outlook of treating wastewater as a repository of value, generating by-products like treated effluent, gas for power generation, and sludge for manure applications.

The panelists in this session, including Mr Kees Roest, Senior Scientific Researcher, Energy & Circular Systems, KWR Water Research Institute, The Netherlands; Shri Ashok Kumar, Head – Proposal & Engineering, Northern Region, VA Tech WABAG Limited; Dr Ravinder Kaur, Principal Scientist, ICAR – Indian Agriculture Research Institute; and Ms Aditi Dwivedi, Program Lead, Centre for Water and Sanitation, CEPT University, explored the reuse and resource recovery applications, bearing the potential to catalyse sustainable progress.

Water Digest is India’s premier Water magazine, acting as the mouthpiece of the water industry since 2006, as well as the winners of the ‘Best English Newspaper’ award at the maiden National Water Awards 2018, 2019 and 2022 by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India; Best media outreach in water by ASSOCHAM; and International recognition as ‘Best Brand’ worldwide excellence award in Malaysia. The magazine has its annual awards which covers several segments and is a way of recognising our water warriors.

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