Trade in treated waste water: Niti Aayog

livemint.com:

NEW DELHI : Trading in treated wastewater among industrial users can be given a try to achieve efficient and productive water-use, according to a report by NITI Aayog. The federal policy think tank said in a report titled ‘water trading mechanism to promote reuse of treated water’ that in many countries water trading has helped achieve water-use efficiency and productivity. Water trading is a water market mechanism that considers water as a commodity that can be traded among users according to their needs.

Under this, water rights are allocated to each sector and they use it according to their needs -- buy when they need more water and sell when they require less of it. “Though it may not be advisable to introduce a full-fledged water trading in India for various socio-economic reasons, trading of treated wastewater among industrial users could be tried," the report said. As urbanization gathers pace, more and more wastewater is generated.

But only about 40% of this is treated, and even that is not being reused, the report said, adding that even where it is reused, it is not used productively. “So, there is an imminent need to encourage productive use of treated used water. There should be a mechanism to encourage and incentivise the treatment of wastewater and its reuse.

The proposal does not intend to penalise or disincentivize water use by farmers in excess of what is considered as optimum. However, it is planned to incentivize and encourage efficient use of water," the report said. The quantity of water saved, that is the difference between actual consumption and water allocation, could be traded with industries or other farmers in lieu of credit points, the report suggested.