The 2012 National Water Policy mandates water recycling and reuse as a general norm and advocates treatment to specified standards before wastewater reuse. It ensures a properly planned tariff system that encourages reuse of treated water in various sectors including industry, agriculture and others. It states that reuse of municipal waste water from kitchens and bathrooms after primary treatment should be encouraged in toilets to avoid human contact.
In addition, the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation has also adopted a National Framework for Reuse of Treated Effluent. This framework will guide states to formulate their water reuse policies and implement them within a time limit. As part of the framework, a draft policy template has also been developed to assist in preparation of reuse policy by respective state governments.
The Arth Ganga initiatives implemented as part of the Namami Gange program have among others a component for monetization and reuse of treated wastewater for irrigation and industrial purposes. Under the Arth Ganga component, various interventions for reuse of treated effluents are being considered by entering into MoUs with various Ministries/Unions/PSUs and implementing their action plans.
The Government of India, through the 2016 Power Tariff Policy, has also mandated all thermal power plants to use treated wastewater from sewage treatment plants (STPs) located within 50 km for non-potable purposes. This information was given by Minister of State for Jal Shakti Shri Bishweswar Tudu in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.
