The Sunita Narain Show: Sewage before supply

India, a rapidly urbanizing nation, faces a myriad of challenges, and among the most critical, yet often overlooked, is the issue of sewage management. Environmentalist Sunita Narain's commentary, encapsulated in the phrase 'Sewage before supply' and highlighted through the 'Indore water tragedy', brings this often-ignored crisis to the forefront. The core problem is simple: the vast quantities of wastewater generated daily are not adequately collected, treated, or disposed of, leading to severe contamination of water sources that are then used for supply.

The background context for this crisis is rooted in decades of lopsided development. While India has made strides in providing piped water supply to many households, the parallel investment in wastewater infrastructure has lagged significantly. Urbanization has led to a massive increase in sewage generation, far outstripping the capacity of existing treatment plants. Many cities either lack comprehensive sewerage networks, have dilapidated systems, or possess treatment plants that are underutilized, inefficient, or non-functional. The 'Indore water tragedy' serves as a stark reminder of the direct consequences: contaminated drinking water, outbreaks of waterborne diseases, and severe public health crises that ripple through communities, underscoring Narain's point that we 'do not join the dots' between what we flush and what we drink.

Several key stakeholders are involved in this complex issue. At the central level, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and the Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) are pivotal, formulating policies and funding schemes. State governments and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) – municipalities and corporations – are responsible for implementation, operation, and maintenance of water supply and sanitation infrastructure. Industries contribute significantly to industrial wastewater, which often mixes with domestic sewage or is discharged untreated. Most importantly, citizens are stakeholders both as generators of sewage and as consumers of water, bearing the health and economic burden of mismanagement. Environmental advocacy groups like the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), led by Sunita Narain, play a crucial role in research, policy advocacy, and raising public awareness about these critical environmental issues.

This issue matters profoundly for India. Socially, poor sewage management directly impacts public health, leading to widespread waterborne diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and dysentery. Economically, the burden of healthcare costs, loss of productivity due to illness, and the need for expensive remediation efforts are substantial. Environmentally, untreated sewage pollutes rivers, lakes, and groundwater, destroying aquatic ecosystems and rendering water sources unusable. It directly undermines India's commitment to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and impacts other SDGs related to health, poverty, and sustainable cities. The political implications include public dissatisfaction, pressure on governance, and the challenge of balancing development with environmental protection.

Historically, India's sanitation journey has seen various policy shifts. Early efforts were often fragmented. The National Urban Sanitation Policy (NUSP) of 2008 aimed to create 'open defecation free' (ODF) cities and promote universal access to sanitation. A major turning point came with the launch of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (SBA) in 2014, which initially focused heavily on achieving ODF status and solid waste management. While highly successful in toilet construction, the focus on liquid waste management, particularly sewage treatment, gained more prominence in its second phase, Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 (SBM-U 2.0), launched in October 2021, which aims for 'Garbage Free Cities' and 'Water Secure Cities'. Schemes like the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and the Namami Gange Programme also integrate components of sewerage and septage management to clean up urban areas and rejuvenate river systems.

The constitutional framework provides the bedrock for addressing this. The Right to Life under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution has been interpreted by the Supreme Court to include the right to a clean environment and access to clean water. Article 47, a Directive Principle of State Policy, mandates the State to improve public health, which implicitly includes sanitation. Furthermore, the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992, devolves powers and responsibilities to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) under Article 243W, entrusting them with functions like public health, sanitation, conservancy, and solid waste management. The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, provide the legal framework for pollution control and environmental protection, with specific provisions for wastewater discharge standards.

The future implications are clear: India must adopt an integrated urban water management approach. This involves moving beyond a linear 'flush and forget' model to a circular economy where wastewater is seen as a resource. Decentralized wastewater treatment plants (DWWTPs), septage management, and the reuse of treated wastewater for non-potable purposes (e.g., irrigation, industrial cooling) are crucial. Public-private partnerships, adoption of advanced treatment technologies, and robust monitoring mechanisms are essential. More importantly, behavioural change among citizens and industries, coupled with stringent enforcement of environmental regulations, will be vital to ensure that the tragic link between sewage and water supply is permanently severed, paving the way for truly 'Water Secure Cities' and a healthier India.