Quenching the thirst of cities

The per capita availability of water in India is on the decline with each passing year, and with the rise in population, this situation will worsen, particularly in cities. As per NITI Aayog’s Composite Water Management Index 2019, no Indian city is able to provide 24×7 water supply to its citizens. Right now, 5 Indian cities are among the 20 largest cities undergoing water stress, with Delhi being second on the list. By 2030 the gap between the domestic water demand and its supply is going to expand to 50 BCM (Billion Cubic Metres) as the urban population is expected to touch 600 million mark. Therefore, cities in India have to enhance their wastewater treatment capacity to be able to meet the rise in demand.

Available Water Resources as of 2017 (in Billion Cubic Metre)

Per Capita Availability of Water in India (Cubic Metre)

Source: India Water Resources Information

Urban Wastewater Scenario in India and Water

More than half the world’s population lives in cities and this number is only expected to rise in the coming years. Our cities are already crumbling under the weight of population in cities. In order to make cities livable and accommodate the burgeoning population, the governments need to do some large-scale changes in infrastructure development of cities. Needless to say, this would also need largescale investment on the part of the government. Let us see what this year’s budget has in store for cities