India is facing a catastrophic water crisis. Despite housing 18% of the world’s population, the country has access to only 4% of global water resources, creating immense pressure on its limited supply and threatening public health and ecosystems. Moreover, approximately 70% of its surface water is unfit for consumption, with more than half of India’s 605 rivers being heavily polluted. This deprives about 95 million people of access to clean and safe water near their dwellings.
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India ranks 120 out of 122 countries in the water quality index. With 21 major cities, including Delhi and Bengaluru, expected to deplete groundwater reserves by 2030, the situation is alarming. At country level, water demand is projected to exceed supply by 70%.
Untreated wastewater and contamination
Every day, 40 million liters of wastewater enter water bodies, with 90% of sewage being discharged without treatment. In addition, 2 million tonnes of sewage and effluent are released daily, while industries dump 300-400 million tonnes of waste into water bodies every year. In 2024, over 2 million people in India were affected by groundwater contaminants, primarily heavy metals and nitrates. As of December 2023, arsenic contamination had affected 230 districts in 25 states, while fluoride contamination had affected 469 districts in 27 states.
Impacts on health and agriculture
According to a report by the Centre for Science and Environment, every year, water-borne diseases affect approximately 37.7 million Indians, with diarrhea alone killing about 1.5 million children. The human toll is starkest in Haryana’s ‘cancer village’, where every family has lost at least one member to cancer due to sewage-polluted groundwater.
In Sonipat district, farmers like Shri Bhagwan in Akhbarpur Barota report crop failures due to worsening water contamination. Throughout the country, agricultural losses are significant, with downstream areas experiencing a 9% fall in revenue and a 16% drop in crop yields.
Failed investments
Despite massive investments, river pollution persists. The government has spent US$1.63 billion to clean the Ganga river, which is particularly affected since cities along its banks produce around 33% of the country’s wastewater. Similarly, US$1 billion has been spent on the Yamuna river since 1993, but these substantial investments have failed to clean the two water sources.
India’s environmental degradation comes at a staggering cost of approximately US$80 billion annually. Moreover, water pollution alone severely impacts the economy, potentially halving Gross Domestic Product growth.
Sources of water pollution
Water pollution in India stems from various sources, with the largest contributor being:
- Untreated sewage: Urban areas generated 72,368 million liters per day (MLD) of sewage in 2020-21 according to the Central Pollution Control Board, whereas the installed treatment capacity was only 31,841 MLD, with an operational capacity of 26,869 MLD. Consequently, just 20,236 MLD (28%) of sewage was treated, while 72% remained untreated and was discharged into water bodies, exacerbating water pollution in India.
- Industry and agriculture: Industrial effluents from manufacturing, textiles, and chemicals, as well as agricultural runoff containing fertilizers and pesticides, further contaminate rivers and lakes.
- Rapid urbanization and population growth exacerbate pollution from urban areas, including solid waste and runoff. Cities with populations over 100,000 generate 16,662 billion liters of wastewater daily, even though at least 30% of them have no sewage treatment plants.
Solutions and government initiatives
To prevent water pollution in India, the country is taking proactive steps, often in collaboration with local start-ups. One effective strategy involves constructing water treatment plants that utilize techniques such as flocculation, skimming, and filtration to remove toxic chemicals. A notable example is the upgrade of the Panjrapur plant in Maharashtra, one of India’s largest, which produces over 19 million cubic meters of clean water daily, benefiting around 96 million people.
Delhi, which generates 11,300 tonnes of garbage every day, is developing a new waste-to-energy facility due to process 2,000 tonnes of waste daily. Currently, the municipality processes 7,300 tonnes of garbage on a daily basis.
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The Indian government is promoting water conservation and reuse to prevent water pollution. Several treatment plants are being opened nationwide to encourage industrial water reuse. For instance, Chennai saw a significant increase in water reclamation, rising from 36,000 cubic meters to 80,000 cubic meters between 2016 and 2019.
Gujarat’s Reuse of Treated Waste Water Policy, launched in 2019, aimed to double its water treatment capacity to approximately 5,000 MLD, benefiting its 70 million citizens. This was achieved through 161 sewage treatment plants, supporting industries, and construction sectors.
The road ahead
However, experts still warn that water pollution in India is escalating rapidly due to industrialization and urbanization, citing inadequate regulations, poor monitoring, and weak enforcement as major contributing factors.
