Urban water management: A primer on the crisis

R K Srinivasan Centre for Science & Environment, New Delhi

Dainik Bhaskar launches 'Jal Hai to Kal Hai' initiative in Bhopal

• Demand-supply gap (cases, etc.)• Urban bias: Water supply from rural areas• Water-waste connection (cost; reuse, etc.)• Managing groundwater (govt. & community

initiatives)• From sewerage to sanitation: Understanding

the paradigm shift for India

Problem in management not availability

• City receives 87 mgd (397 mld)• City requires 115 mgd (525 mld)• CPHEEO norm for metro city 172.5 lpcd (150 + 15 % leakage loss)• 2006 population - 1.09 million• 2011 population - 1.33 million• 2006 demand - 188 mld (1.09 x 172.5)• 2011 demand - 229 mld ( 1.33 x 172.5)

• 2006 per capita supply - 364 lpcd• 2011 per capita supply - 298 lpcd

In the case of Delhi

3976

3336.9

2553

3139

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

official demand supply 2006 demand 2011 demand

in m

ld

Demand, Supply, and increasing investment

Source: City Development plan of Chandigarh

49

3

51

9 55

3 62

1

80

1

31

5

31

5

31

5

31

5

31

5

17

8

20

4 23

8 30

6

48

6

16

2

13

5

16

3 24

3

14

6

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

2006 2011 2016 2021 2031

in m

ld

Demand Supply Gap Investment in crore

Actual demand and shortage

18

8 22

9 27

9

34

1

50

7

31

5

31

5

31

5

31

5

31

5

-12

7 -86 -3

6

26

19

2

-200

-100

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

2006 2011 2016 2021 2031

Demand (150 LPCD) Supply Gap

Source: City Development plan of Chandigarh

How is water supply need calculated ?

Sno

Classification of towns/cities Recommended maximum water supply levels (lpcd)

1 Towns provided with piped water supply but without sewerage system

70

2 Cities provided with piped water supply where sewerage system is exists

135

3 Metropolitan and Mega cities provided with piped water supply where sewerage systems existing

150

Source: Ministry of Urban Development, Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organisation Manual on Water Supply and Treatment, Third Edition -Revised and Updated (May 1999), New Delhi.

City Own Norms of cities (lpcd)

Ahmedabad 170

Bangalore 140

Bhopal 150

Kolkata 227

Chennai 110

Coimbatore 150

Delhi 225

Greater Mumbai 240

Lucknow 250

Ludhinana 200

Nagpur 175

Pune 140

Official water demand, supply, leakage loss and supply after leakage loss

210

160

140

190

150

130125

115110

0

50

100

150

200

250

Million plus cities Class I Class II & III

Per

cap

ita

wat

er (

lpcd

)

Official per capita demand

Official per capita supply

Official per capita supply after leakage loss

34%

23%

15%

Water dem and and supply in m illion plus cities2

60

30

0

17

5

17

5

17

5

20

0

22

5 24

0

22

5

25

0

32

0

12

0

90

14

5

12

1

18

0

27

0

13

5

10

0

21

5

27

5

37

0

15

0

15

0

15

0

17

0

34

0

15

0

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

Delhi Mum bai Bangalore Kolkata Channai Pune Am rits ar

Pe

r ca

pita

de

ma

nd

/ su

pp

ly (

lpcd

)

Official per capita water demand Official per capita water supply in 2005

Official per capita water supply after leakage loss in 2005 Per capita supply to non-slum population after leakage loss in 2005

CPHEEO Norm

7890.4

115.6

96.2

77.1

9588.2

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Exploding water demand> percapita consumption less

Source: Household survey of consumption in select cities as of March 2005, TISS

LPCD

Remember, the national average per capita consumption (supply) is 135 LPCD!

Alarming > Chennai only 56.7 LPCDRich extract more groundwater

Case > Delhi• Availability 211 lpcd

• 2011 Master plan targets 363 lpcd

All Indian cities want more. But why increase supply? Why not manage our water better?

Relentless search for water

Vaitarna cum Tansa

90 km

105 km

Mumbai

Bhatsa

Manjira dam

Hyderabad

Nagurjuna

105 km

100 km

Ajai 3

Ajai 2

Ajai 1

Nyari dam 1

Nyari dam 2

Bhadar dam – 75 km

Bisalpur dam

120 km – 1088 cr

Kajauli water works (BML)- 28 km Phase 5 and 6 will bring additional 123 mld)

Ganguwal - 70 km -402 crore - 2026

Surface water 71%

Groundwater 29%

City Source Distance Per kl cost to

supply

Aizwal Tlwang river 1000 metres down the valley, 18 km away

Rs 53.93

Bangalore Cauvery 95 km from the city

12.00

Chennai Lakes, Groundwater and Veeranam lake.

60 to 245 km 14.00

Delhi Yamuna river, Bhakra storage and groundwater

Across the city 9.90

Indore Narmada river 70 km 11.00

Jodhpur Rajiv Gandhi Lift Canal 240 km 8.70

Mussorrie Springwater Bhilaru, Jinsi, Khandighat, Murray rose and Dhobighat

6 to 7 km down 18.13

Mumbai Bhatsa, Vihar, Tulsi, Tansa, Upper Vaitarna

100 to 120 km 8.40

Hyderabad Nagarjuna sagar and Majira dam 116 km 5.30

Hubli-Dharwad Neersagar and Malaprabha reservoir 20 and 55 km 6.70

6.7

3.57

2.14

5.63

1.281.6

84

35.89

104.42

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Metro cities Class I cities Class II & III

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Per Kl expense ( in Rs) Per kl revenue ( in Rs) Revenue ( in %)

468.54

194.03

104.42

393.58

69.6377.9

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

Metro cities Class I cities Class II & III

Per capita expense ( in Rs) Per capita revenue ( in Rs)

Expense vs Revenue in Chandigarh

194 21

1

218 23

5

240

92

111 12

2

171

173

102

99 96

63 67

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05

Cost per MGD ( in crore) Revenue per MGD ( in crore) Gap ( in crore)

Source: City Development plan of Chandigarh

Cities Monthly water consumption (per kl)

Production cost based on consumption

Bill amount in Rs % of subsidy

Lower slab Higher slab

Delhi (9.93)

1 6 60 120  

6 20 199 40 80

20 30 298 210 30

31        

Jaipur (6.18)

1 15 93 30 68

15 40 247 80 68

41        

Faridabad (2.32)

1 15 35 19 46

15 30 70 75 -8

31        

Bangalore (12.04)

1 25 301 88 71

25 50 602 350 42

50 75 903 1425 -58

75 100 1204 2600 -116

101   0 0  

Hyderabad (5.3)

1 30 159 180 -13

30 200 1060 2000 -89

201   0 0  

Chandigarh (3.93)

1 15 59 38 36

15 30 118 300 -154

30 60 236 1500 -536

61   0 0  

Compounded by inefficiencies• Huge distribution losses in

water supply: 20 – 50%

• Increased pollution in source water adds to cost of treatment

• Cannot invest in efficiencies and clean water for all

• Cost recovery is difficult because of the huge distribution losses and inequities in supply

Only half the story > Groundwater the victim

• Most cities highly dependent on groundwater

• No estimate: Groundwater accounts for 50-90% of water needs

• Public utilities and private companies plunder groundwater

• Not accounted for. But show up in water-waste map

Sources of municipal water supply

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Milli

on p

lus c

ities

Delhi

Mum

bai

Kolkat

a

Banga

lore

Class I

citie

s

Srinag

ar

Ranch

i

Cutta

ck

Udaipu

r

Class I

I and

III c

ities

Baram

ati

Yamun

anag

ar

Pe

rce

nta

ge

co

ntr

ibu

tio

n

Contribution of surface water to the municipal water supply Contribution of groundwater to the municipal water supply

Dependence on private water sources in million plus cities

61

39

11

58

4346

25

21

66

26

35

56

51

44

36

55

10

50

71

45

55

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Delhi

Mum

bai

Hyder

abad

Banga

lore

Kolkat

a

Kanpu

r

Pune

Surat

Jaipu

r

Luck

now

Nagpu

r

Indo

re

Bhopa

l

Patna

Vadod

ara

Agra

Than

e

Mee

rut

Dhanb

ad

Allaha

bad

Rajkot

Pe

rce

nta

ge

of

wa

ter

co

ns

um

ed

fro

m p

riv

ate

so

urc

es

(%

)

Delhi’s alarming dip in water table

Dipping watertable

In the northern parts -sector 10 - fall of more than 16 meters fall in the last 15 years.

In sector 31, the fall is almost 10 meters whereas in the remaining part of the city it ranged between 5 and 8 meters.

In Kolkata, groundwater flow reversed

Mumbai’s > Salinity ingress & contamination

Study by SCOLEEN (NGO) > Study by SCOLEEN (NGO) > Mumbai’s piped water is contaminated by ColiformsColiforms

Colaba, Dharvi, Khar, Anderi, Chembur, Malad

In Chennai, sea water intrusion

CSE’s research on bottled water in Delhi and Mumbai shows dramatic correlation between source (mostly groundwater) and bottled water contaminants

With dipping water tables, quality getting worse

Wetlands to store & recharge rainwater…

1925 1994

Wet land Built up

Green cover

Mumbai > 0.3 ac per 1000 persons (should be 4 ac)

Sukhna lake reduced from 230 ha to 154 ha

Water level reduced from 5 m in 1958 to 2 m in 2004.

Traditional water management in Jodhpur

Indira Gandhi canal

204 km

Rajivgandhi lift canal

Jodhpur > unleash the potential of canals

Sewage status in India33212

6190

27022

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000

Sewage generation Installed capacity Untreated

in M

illio

n lit

res

per

day

Sewage generation vs treatment

238

137

46

0

50

100

150

200

250

Official sewagegeneration

Treatment capacity Tertiary treatment

in m

ld

Three immediate options to save our cities

• Urban rainwater harvesting

• Use different ‘types’ of water for various purposes (Conjunctive use, e.g. Dual pipe system in Dwarka, New Delhi)

• Recycle wastewater

Rainwater harvesting potential

• Total area : 114 sq km • Average annual rainfall : 1114 mm• Total rainwater available : 348 mld • Forest cover as per FSI report : 35 per cent • Even if we assume that rooftop rainwater is harvested

from the rest of 65 per cent of the built up area, which is about 74 sq km then the volume of rainwater that can be harvested works out to be around 226 mld.

Anaerobic baffled reactor >Secondary treatment > Planted filter

Planted filter

A paradigm that must change, urgently