A Focused Political Agenda Can Stabilize Urban India's Water Services
India's urban growth and development depend critically on effective water management, yet many city water systems are fragile, marked by high non-revenue water, low wastewater treatment, and poor cost recovery. A focused agenda within a single political term can stabilize urban water services. This involves rethinking water sources by treating rainwater and treated wastewater as mainstream supplies, improving efficiency through clear responsibilities, better measurement, and modernized customer services. Additionally, it requires redesigning tariffs and subsidies for equity and reforming investment appraisal to consider full lifetime costs and environmental impacts. The goal is to shift from counting connections to managing performance and resilience, investing in operations and local capacity.
Key Points
- Urban India's water systems are fragile, characterized by high non-revenue water, inadequate wastewater treatment, and poor cost recovery.
- A single political term can significantly improve urban water services through a focused agenda.
- Rethinking water sources to include rainwater harvesting and treated wastewater as mainstream supplies is crucial.
- Improving efficiency involves clarifying responsibilities, implementing better measurement and management of losses, and modernizing customer services.
- Reforming tariffs and subsidies for equity and enhancing investment appraisal to consider full lifetime and environmental costs are essential.
Exam Facts
- Utilities lose more than 30% of water they produce (non-revenue water).
- Only around 27% of sewage is treated.
- Many utilities recover less than 55% of their operation and maintenance costs.
- The article mentions "Viksit Bharat" in the context of urban water systems.
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