'Private sector should play a role in wastewater treatment'

— Dr. (Ms) Liqa Raschid-Sally, Senior Researcher, International Water Management Institute

Dr (Ms) Liqa Raschid Sally convinces Sandeep Menezes about the important and urgent need for
wastewater treatment in developing countries like India.

Why is wastewater treatment important in India?

With rapid urbanisation and industrialisation, as is the case in India, there are vast volumes of water
being utilised and wastewater being discharged untreated into water bodies. This is impacting
negatively on the downstream environment and downstream productive activities. There are very
many cities in India in this situation. For instance, IWMI studies in Musi river in Hyderabad show that
the water source for agriculture downstream of the city, is this polluted river water which is in fact a
sewage. This is only one of many examples.
There is a heavy economic and health burden too in that in some cases these water sources are also
the intake for drinking water. Child mortality and diarrhea are very high in developing countries where
sanitation and waste treatment are neglected, and India is no exception.
Which wastewater treatment technology is best suited for developing nations?
This is a decision that has to be made based on the local context and cost benefit analyses. In some
cities it will be necessary and possible to introduce hi-tech solutions, where professional skills to run
such plants are available and it is possible to recover the returns on investment. In smaller cities it
might be better to go for more appropriate, low-cost solutions. These usually are slow processes, so
require large extents of land, which may not be available in urban areas where land is at a premium.
How can wastewater treatment improve quality of life in India?
India is a country that has a major problem of providing sanitation to its population. Wastewater
treatment should therefore be linked to sanitation and sustainable solutions sought. One way by which
quality of life improves is because pathogen and other contaminant risks are reduced through better
waste disposal, leading to better health.
Is wastewater treatment an expensive proposition for developing nations?
There is always a cost involved, but the alternative of not treating is also expensive. In working out the
economics, governments forget that pollution of the environment and the disease burden related to
pollution is also a cost, which has to be compared with the costs of providing treatment.
Can the private sector in India participate in this initiative?
Definitely, they should in fact be encouraged to do so and be included in any plan to provide improved
treatment. Since private sector is market oriented, they will suggest innovative ways of financing
wastewater treatment.

What is IWMI?

The International Water Management Institute, a Colombo, Sri Lanka, headquartered institution with
offices in 12 countries across Asia and Africa, improves management of water and land resources for
food, livelihoods and nature. Research is the core activity of IWMI—it is organised around four priority
themes including basin water management; land, water and livelihoods; agriculture, water and cities;
and water management and environment.
IWMI contributes towards the achievement of the UN Millennium Development Goals of reducing
poverty, hunger and maintaining a sustainable environment.
IWMI is one of 15 international research centres supported by a network of 60 governments, private
foundations and international and regional organisations collectively known as the Consultative Group
on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). It is a non-profit organisation with a staff of 350 and
offices in over 10 countries across Asia and Africa and headquarters in Colombo.
[October 20-26, 2008]