How Nagpur Is Keeping Tabs On Its Water Flow

One of the most quotable quotes of American author Henry David Thoreau is “all good things are wild and free”. As a matter of fact, all good things used to be wild and free until human beings decided to exploit them to an extent that any redemption seemed unlikely, unless these things were kept out of our reach by putting a price tag on them. All natural resources have by and by fallen in that category. While there is still no direct tax on breathing the fresh air, there is certainly a price one has to pay to do so. People living in Delhi, for example, may have to buy a ticket and visit a remote village in the periphery for a whiff of fresh air.

It is in this context that we would discuss the merits of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation's (NMC) water management project that may work as a model for other cities to tackle their water woes. It is to be noted that that while it has found a place in the Centre's Smart Cities Mission, Nagpur has not been able to receive grants so far.

 Tapping private players

The NMC has tasked the joint venture between Veolia Water India and Vishwaraj Environment to manage its water under the Nagpur Orange City Water Project. While 70 per cent of the funds for this public-private-partnership model have been granted under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (this includes funds from the state and the Centre), the remaining are being sourced from the private player. By managing it all — from the very source to the tap — the company is responsible for providing Nagpur's 1,89,000-odd residents a continuous water supply. (Earlier, Nagpur residents had to be content with water supply on alternate days.)

 Time to pay

The company, which started working on the project in 2012, has among its primary duties the responsibility to ensure citizens pay for their water usage. Of the total supply of 575 million litres per day, media reports say, only 175 million litres was being paid for before this model was enforced. Now, everyone in the city, whether a slum dweller or a local moneybags, has to pay for each drop of water used. Authorities often fail to generate the expected revenue because water and electricity usage are not properly accounted for, but Nagpur can be a shining example for other cities.

 Building from the waste

Of the 1,000 million litres of water that was being supplied each day, about 800 million litres returned to pollute the city as sewage. Further, the city had the capacity only to treat 100 million litres of water per day, while it produced around 550 million litres of sewage. Apart from being a drain on the natural resource, it also added to the rising pollution levels of the city. The Orange City Water Project will ensure a major part of the waste water is treated and reused for commercial purposes. Major Indian cities such as Delhi and Mumbai can truly emulate Nagpur to tackle water crisis.