What is going on?
According to a recent report by India's government's policy think tank, the NITI Aayog, the country constitutes 18% of the world's population but only 4% of the planet's water resources. India is one of the most water-stressed nations globally, and a significant proportion of its citizens confront severe to extreme water scarcity. Numerous independent research studies show that more than 5 million sanitation workers are employed nationwide in various sanitation-related jobs. Of this group, nearly 2 million workers are responsible for undertaking high-risk tasks such as cleaning sewers and septic tanks. This degrading, inhumane, a form of untouchability, and severe disease-causing practice got prohibited in India in 1993. But it wasn't until two decades later that the legal definition was expanded to encompass the manual cleaning of drains, sewers, and septic tanks. The situation on the ground is much more gruesome than what is often reported, and many deaths and sicknesses of sanitation workers go unreported. Now, nearly a decade has again gone by, but the numbers above and the reality of their miserable lives still stand firm.
What does it mean?
Water, sanitation and hygiene come under the basic necessities of any developed civilization in the modern world. According to a survey conducted in 2018, nearly 80% of Indian households do not have piped water connections. Nearly 70% of urban households are not connected to a central sewer system, let alone talk about the situation of rural households. If we compare it to a developed nation such as Japan, the vast majority of the population has access to an upgraded water source. Approximately 97% of individuals receive piped water supply from public utilities, and around 99.8% of the population is covered by the public sewerage system. Thanks to India's huge workforce, emerging technologies and geopolitical shift, India is projected to be among the next top contenders for a super economic power globally. However, without establishing a solid basic infrastructure, that projection might just remain a dream.
Why does it matter?
Non-revenue water is the water lost in the distribution system before it reaches the customers and for which no revenue is generated. This could include water lost due to leaks, theft, and metering inaccuracies, among other reasons. In developing countries, if the current NRW is reduced to even half, it could generate ~3bn in cash yearly for the water sector. India's NRW is 38%, just above the global average range of 30% to 35%, as reported by the World Bank. African countries are in much worse conditions, with NRW falling between 40 to 50%. On the other hand, comparatively, Japan has it under 10% and water leakage under 4%.
Besides generating big revenue, NRW reduction could help reduce carbon emissions in agricultural practices, as more than 60% of the country's irrigated agriculture supplies depend on groundwater. Indian agriculture continues to be a crucial sector in the country's economy and is among the world's leading rice producers. However, rice paddies are responsible for generating considerable methane emissions in the agricultural industry. Due to contaminated groundwater, anaerobic bacteria can thrive in rice paddies, producing methane that contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and global warming. The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) estimates that approximately 10-20% of India's overall greenhouse gas emissions come from methane generated by rice cultivation, a substantial amount that can not be ignored.
India has consistently enhanced access to piped water and sanitation services while maintaining comparatively low tariffs. However, utility records from 12 provinces in 2009 showed unsatisfactory service continuity, substantial system losses, and insufficient revenue recovery. Factors such as better sewer systems, improved water quality, and lesser carbon emissions mean better quality of life for its citizens, lesser environmental harm, and more business opportunities. In addition, the combined efforts of government initiatives and emerging technologies can potentially eliminate age-old discrimination based on caste that has plagued the most marginalized communities. Let us delve into how this can be achieved.
The government's flagship initiatives in the WASH sector, including Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Jal Jeevan Mission, and Har Ghar Jal, have significantly improved sanitation and water access in India by prioritizing sustainable practices such as waste management, sustainable water usage, and decentralized distribution and maintenance of water, offering long-term solutions for WASH challenges.
On the technology front, Indian deeptech startups such as Solinas Integrity, creating robotic solutions for the pipeline and sanitation industry, are addressing challenges such as water leakages and eliminating manual scavenging. Overall, the WASH sector is undergoing a significant transformation worldwide, driven by the emergence of advanced technologies in connectivity, mobility, automation, and analytics.
