India’s Water Challenges

Raw water quality varies apropos the variability of pollutants found in water sources. This means that effective water treatment methods require constant modification. In India, carrying out modified treatments is an unfeasible task: Treatment plants lack both material resources and the knowledge required for action. There is a deficit of trained technicians who understand the intricacies in determining the method of treatment that will respond to a pollutant. One example cited by CPCB is that water treatment personnel lack the knowledge that trihalomethanes can form due to chlorination of organic matter; this is a basic factoid. Also, most water treatment plants do not employ chemists, who can aid facilities in the face of increasing pollution.

Another challenge India faces is that most water treatment plants do not run at optimal operational standards. A study, conducted on these standards, throws up some astonishing data on water treatment technologies and operational practices in the country. In metropolitan cities, satisfactory results are derived when operation and maintenance is in the hands of private organizations. Contrarily, the scarcity of funds for carrying out repairs and the overall “casual” way the Public Health Engineering Departments and municipalities operate has led to the deterioration of quality in public water services.

Recent research indicates that the percentage of tested water sources varies greatly by state. Sampling protocols are not fully specified and the proportion of negative water test results is very high, running contrary to the number of pollutants reported in studies. Negative sampling results could be attributed in part to the fact that the sampling of sources is limited to groundwater and protected wells. This limited testing does not provide a full picture of the level of water quality from all sources. The majority of positive test results involve chemical contamination, whereas, biological contamination reports are sparse, despite massive concerns about sanitation in rural environments and sewage leaks in urban areas. The inability to enforce appropriate safety measures only adds to the woes resulting from rampant contamination and negligence.

The government of India has launched several programs at the national, state, district, block, and Panchayat levels to monitor water quality, but its effectiveness does not manifest. One major problem is redundancy: there are too many governmental bodies, ministries, and institutions tackling water issues. Success of any water program is contingent upon proper coordination amongst these agencies. With the low level of education prevalent at the village level, building awareness and training Pancahyat bodies requires large scale organization.

Another obstacle is proper and continual monitoring and testing of water so that water sources can be assessed throughout the year, in all seasons. This requires well-equipped laboratories and trained technicians, for water testing field kits don’t necessarily yield accurate results. An issue that needs addressing is that sometimes, even when analytical data presents accurate results, sufficient treatment is not viable or modern water purification technologies are not available.

A Better Future?

The government recognizes that dealing with the issue of water quality is a major challenge. It aims to address the issues of water quality surveillance and monitoring by setting up more testing laboratories with qualified manpower, equipment, and chemicals, which can provide a uniform and correct data that is sharable amongst all agencies involved. In doing so, the government must not overlook pre-existing infrastructure—there already exists a large number of food and water testing laboratories that are recognized by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories and the FSSAI. These private laboratories have the latest equipment and technical backup to carry out broader water testing services throughout the country. Invoking private players into water treatment may increase accountability and provide greater access to purified and safe drinking water to Indian citizens.