Indias first nationwide rural water quality survey to start from October- A compilation of top stories from water industry from newsletter Droplets

What are the emerging trends in India’s water sector? The newsletter, Droplets by Everything About Water gives an overview of the current issues in the sector by giving brief description of recent developments in water industry, technologies, products, research, reports etc,.

The newsletter of July, August and September 2012 sheds light on the following water issues of India:

• India considers to collaborate with Israeli water technologies to clean river Ganga
• Delhi government allocates Rs. 1800 crore for water supply and sanitation with a major emphasis on rationalization of distribution system in the capital.
• Ernakulam district in Kerala soon to get Rs. 950 crore drinking water project
• Central government approves a grant of Rs. 98 crore to undertake drinking water projects in Belgaum, Karnataka for the year 2012-13 under the National Rural Drinking Water Project.
• Punjab government sanctions Rs. 89.46 crore for laying drinking water network and revamping sewerage in the city of Abohar
•  Remarkable progress made in the construction of a second desalination plant in Nemmeli, Tamil Nadu.
•  Chennai Metrowater selects VA Tech Wabag for rehabilitation of 300 MLD water treatment plant at Puzhal.
•  Pentair X-Flow HFS 60 Silica ultra filtration (UF) membranes are to be used in two projects in India for the removal of colloidal silica from surface water.
•  Hindustan Zinc has signs an agreement with the Rajasthan government to set up the first sewage treatment plant in Udaipur with a cost of Rs. 170 crore.
•  The increasing involvement of private sector in country’s urban infrastructure through seeking funds worth USD 1 trillion.
•  The announcement by Maharashtra government of relief package to deal with water supply, irrigation schemes and water conservation programmes.
•  The ambitious project of central government to install 10,000 solar-based water systems to supply drinking water to rural communities in 78 districts across the country. 
•  Central government’s plan to introduce a system of providing incentives to the most water sector reform-friendly states.
•  The villages that come under the jurisdiction of Rajkot Urban Development Authority (RUDA) will soon get water supply and underground drainage system that will indirectly help industrial estates to get non-potable water.
•  A new sewage disposal system that will break down solid waste quickly to come up in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
•  Singapore Public Utilities Board (PUB) to help Delhi Jal Board (DJB) develop wastewater reuse facilities and also conduct a series of workshops to build capacity for 90 government officials of the board.
•  Under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), Rs 18.10 crores has been released as additional central assistance for providing sewerage and sewage treatment plant in Ludhiana, Punjab.
•  Alleppey, Kerala, to set up desalination plants to alleviate water shortages.
•  Delhi might have public-private partnerships (PPPs) model in water service delivery to improve water distribution in the capital area.
•  Chennai Auto Ancillary Industrial Infrastructure Up gradation Company (CAAIIUC) inaugurates the wastewater-coolant, oil recovery, recycling plant and tertiary treatment plant at Ambattur Industrial Estate.
•  The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board has put into operation four jetting cum sucking machines of 4000 litres capacity each to deal with the sewage problem created during monsoons.
•  The Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) plans to install Closed Circuit TV cameras (CCTVs) inside the sewerage to spot any blockages and leakages on their monitor and attended to it.
•  Veolia Water, a France based multinational gets a major contract from Delhi Jal Board (DJB) to build and operate a new wastewater treatment plant in Nilothi.
•  SPML Infra Ltd has wins two orders worth Rs. 358.27 crore for the following work: construction of cluster water distribution network, pump houses, clear water reservoirs and allied works to be completed in 3 years.
•  The Tata group to play a major role in rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge.
•  Israel's national water company Mekorot making advance in negotiations with several Indian states for development of water projects. Keen interest shown by Uttarkhand and Gujarat.
•  Jain Irrigation Systems and the University of Nebraska, United States of America, to work together, to identify common research areas that will generate applicable technologies for ensuring water conservation and sustainable food production.
•  International Finance Corporation (IFC) to raise investments in the Indian water industry. IFC to invest over Rs 500 crore every year to support private sector investment in water industry.
•  Centre has decided to frame a National Water Framework Act with guiding principles on water laws that the states may adopt. The proposed framework law will set the bottom line on major issues such as amendments to the Inter-State Water Disputes Act, 1956, the Rivers Board Act and the Easement Law to make groundwater a public property with government in the role of a trustee.
•  India’s first nationwide water quality survey to cover 14 parameters, including acidity, turbidity, quanta of total dissolved solids, calcium and magnesium hardness, chloride, sulfate, fluoride, nitrate, arsenic and iron content as well as total coliforms and presence of E-coli.
•  The Jammu and Kashmir government to take financial assistance from Asian Development Bank (ADB) for water project to solve the growing drinking water problems in the city of Jammu.
•  Central government grants Rs.425 crore to Gujarat for rural drinking water supply.
•  The Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda) decides to sell treated sewage water for construction purpose. The treated water to be sold at the rate of Rs. 4 per kilolitre.
•  Goa plans to join the league of cities that have gone for 24 hour water supply. Also new water treatment plants are to be set in north Goa.
•  Haryana government invites tenders from companies for a major water pipeline project in Gurgaon.
•  Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has approved a proposal to involve Public Private Partnership (PPP) for better distribution and maintenance of water supply in south Delhi areas. Under the project, the entire distribution network in a particular area would be handed over to the private parties.
•  The Noida Authority decides to upgrade two sewage treatment plants in the city to improve the quality of treated sewage and reduce the amount of pollutants discharged.
•  VA Tech Wabag has received industrial effluent treatment plant order from Reliance Industries Limited in India.
•  Aquatech has been awarded a third contract extension to provide operating services for a boiler feed water treatment plant at Reliance Industries Limited‘s PTA (purified terephthalic acid) manufacturing unit in Hazira, Gujarat, India.
•  Ion Exchange Services Ltd (IESL), an associate company of Ion Exchange India Ltd, announces the launch of ‘Remote Monitoring of Water Treatment Plants’, in India. The objective of this service are bringing awareness on the importance of saving water at every level in industrial process application i.e. source reduction, product re-use, waste minimization and recycling of water.
•  Tritech Group has been awarded a USD 1.26 million contract by the Central Pollution Control Board, Ministry of Environment & Forests, to monitor the water pollution levels along India’s River Ganges.
•  The Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI) plans to sell treated water to builders and private industries. The treated water to be used by builders and private industries for non-potable purposes such as construction, watering gardens and flushing toilets.