NITI Aayog calls for uniform national standards to boost wastewater reuse across Indian

BENGALURU: India must urgently adopt a uniform national standard for treated wastewater to ensure quality, safety and public acceptance across states, said Vinod K Paul, member of NITI Aayog. After the inauguration of a national workshop -- Reuse of Treated Wastewater in India - in the city on Thursday, Paul warned that Indias per-capita water availability has already fallen below 1,400 cubic metres, underlining the need for large-scale wastewater recovery and reuse. The country must move decisively to achieve 50% reuse of wastewater by 2030 and 100% reuse by 2045, noting that only 11 states currently have a wastewater reuse policy in place, he said. The two-day workshop, organised by NITI Aayog in collaboration with the Government of Karnataka and the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), brings together delegates from more than 18 states, sector experts, researchers and policymakers to build a national framework for circular water management. Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh said Bengaluru had turned a crisis into an opportunity during last years severe drought by mandating treated water for non-potable uses and safeguarding the drinking-water supply. She highlighted the revival of 110 lakes, the citys aggressive push toward 100% sewage treatment by 2028, and the enforcement of rainwater-harvesting and treated-water-reuse bylaws. During the session, two films -- BWSSB: A Legacy of Vision and Service and Glimpse of Reuse in Bengaluru -- were screened to showcase the citys progress in water reuse, lake rejuvenation and technology-driven water management.