“We forget that the water cycle and the life cycle are one.”
– Jacques Yves Cousteau
Editor’s Note, January 2020
The second annual ‘Municipal Case Studies’ special issue is in your hands. This year we have selected the top 25 case studies from all over the world. The selection, like last year, is made on the basis of relevance (municipal/ government projects), different segments of the municipal market they represent, innovation (in technology or process), and their actual implementation on the ground.
I would specially mention these organizations for their case study contribution: Advanced Drainage Systems, AVK Solutions, Cownomics, Emerson, Grundfos, IDE Technologies, KSB Pumps, Lakeside Equipment Corp, Mueller Water Products, Nixie Engineers, Hansen Allen & Luce, Cascade Energy, Orange County, Orange Water and Sewer Authority, Primayer, Satsense Solutions, Sensus, SPML Infra, SUEZ, TaKaDu, TWIC, Val-Matic Valve, VA Tech WABAG, WaterAid India, WPL, and Xylem.
If we talk about the Indian municipal market for water & wastewater, a study report by EY-ASSOCHAM shares significant findings. The municipal water market is USD 3.4 billion and is expected to grow by nearly 16% in 2020 from the current levels. The municipal wastewater market is at USD 6 billion and is expected to grow by nearly 15% in 2020 from the current levels. The municipal sludge contributes the smallest in the overall municipal market sector with the current market size of USD 0.85 billion. 58.5% of the total municipal market comes from the sludge and wastewater segment with 93 projects in the upcoming category on a pan-India basis. There are 109 projects under the water treatment category on a pan India basis.
The Central Government of India has committed to fulfilling Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) by 2024. Mr. Parameswaran Iyer, Secretary of DWS (Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation) has said that the women will be the focus of Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSC)/ Paani Samiti that will manage, operate, and maintain the drinking water supply at ground level. This is a welcome statement – as women will be the key factor in ensuring the success of such an ambitious project. The operational guidelines for implementation of the JJM also state that half of the members of these ‘Samitis’ will have to be women.
Last year, the Government of India had restructured and subsumed the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) into JJM to provide Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC) to every rural household (Har Ghar Nal Se Jal) by 2024. The total project cost of JJM is estimated to be about Rs 3.60 lakh crore.
Under the Namami Gange Programme, the Government of India has carried out detailed studies of 97 Ganga towns for their condition assessment and feasibility as regards their existing/future pollution load and sewage treatment capacity. The quantity of sewage gap along with the characteristic and pollution load was also assessed. Based on the condition assessment, feasibility study, and similar study reports, 138 sewerage projects located in 89 towns on Ganga main stem, Yamuna, and Ramganga have now been sanctioned and are at various stages of implementation.
In another significant development, the Government of India has approved Atal Bhujal Yojana (Atal Jal), a Rs. 6,000 crore (USD 827 million) central sector scheme, for sustainable management of groundwater resources with community participation in water-stressed blocks of Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh states. The scheme is being implemented during 2020-21 to 2024-25 with the financial assistance of the World Bank with a sharing pattern of 50:50 between the Government of India and the World Bank.
– Mayur Sharma
Editor, Smart Water & Waste World Magazine
© Smart Water & Waste World. Send us your editorial contributions at mayur@smartwww.in
