India's Blueprint for a Water-Secure Future

India, a nation renowned for its rich history and cultural diversity, is making remarkable strides in addressing its water management challenges. Despite facing significant water scarcity issues in regions like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Maharashtra, the country is turning adversity into an opportunity to innovate and implement sustainable solutions. From pioneering water conservation technologies to enhancing public awareness and government initiatives, India is on a promising path to securing its water future.

Historically blessed with numerous lakes and rivers, India's natural water reservoirs have supported its civilization for millennia. Today, rapid urbanisation and industrial growth pose new challenges, but they also drive the nation's commitment to sustainable practices. Innovative companies like Ekam Eco Solutions are at the forefront, developing waterless urinals and other eco-friendly technologies that save millions of litres of water annually. These efforts demonstrate how modern solutions can harmonise with traditional water conservation practices.

Government initiatives are equally crucial in this journey. Ambitious schemes aimed at providing potable drinking water to every individual, especially in rural and peri-urban areas, reflect a strong dedication to ensuring equitable water access. By focusing on effective management, treatment, and distribution of water resources, these programmes highlight India's proactive approach to solving its water issues.

Current Scenario

India is facing a significant water crisis, evident in regions like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Maharashtra. I believe India has enough water resources, the problem is the pollution of usable water.  Bengaluru, for example, had hundreds of lakes a few decades ago, which acted as reservoirs. However, rampant construction, lack of rainwater harvesting mechanisms, urbanisation, and population overload have led to the depletion of these water bodies. The urban population in metro cities like Bengaluru and Ahmedabad consume massive amounts of groundwater, that is discharged as untreated sewage. This sewage contaminates the soil and water bodies, making the water unusable. It takes years for nature to treat this polluted water, but the pollution occurs in mere moments, exacerbating the water crisis. The importance of conserving rainwater and implementing effective water management practices must be addressed and requires urgent attention. Additionally, industrial areas around cities like Bengaluru, Pune, Nagpur, and Nasik are contributing to the problem. These industrial zones are rapidly developing, but the policies and norms regarding water consumption and sewage treatment are not being followed adequately. The industrial culture in these regions is booming, with lots of industrial townships and areas emerging. However, the stipulated norms for water consumption and treatment are often ignored, leading to industrial waste being improperly treated and released into the environment. This adds to the pollution of water sources, compounding the water crisis. Effective management, treatment, and respect for existing water resources are essential to address these challenges and mitigate the growing water crisis in India.

Amidst these challenges, The Indian government has implemented excellent initiatives such as the Jal Shakti Abhiyan and Atal Bhujal Yojana. These innovative schemes focus on ensuring that every individual has access to potable drinking water, eliminating accessibility issues. However, implementing such a massive project poses significant challenges, especially considering the vast population living in peri-urban and rural areas. A substantial amount of infrastructure is required to connect these areas with a proper water supply. Yet, even when all these areas are connected, a fundamental question remains: how do we ensure enough water to supply them? The first step is to properly manage and treat the existing water resources. Ensuring that water treatment processes are effective is crucial. Another critical aspect is the maintenance and monitoring of the infrastructure. Often, substantial effort, capital, and resources are invested in building the infrastructure, but there is insufficient focus on maintaining and operating these facilities once they are established. Despite geographical challenges, the Indian government has been implementing schemes to ensure water access for all, including in hilly regions and areas with low temperatures like Himachal Pradesh, Jammu Kashmir, and Uttarakhand.

Moreover, the distribution of water access must be addressed. For instance, there have been reports indicating that areas near Mumbai do not receive enough water during the summer because most of the water is diverted to the metro city, where there is a large amount of consumption and wastage. Properly managing and distributing water to ensure equitable access is essential. If these factors are in place, the implemented schemes can be utilised to their fullest potential, ensuring everyone benefits from the initiatives.

One another issue that the world is grappling with today is climate change. India, home to over 1.43 billion people, is highly vulnerable to climate change and ranks high on the global climate risk index. Unexpected torrential rains have highlighted the challenges in managing water resources effectively. For instance, while Bengaluru struggles with water scarcity, a desert city like Dubai experienced excessive rainfall that it couldn't handle. Such natural events, whether excessive rain or drought, require preparedness and balanced management. Receiving large amounts of rainfall is futile without mechanisms to harvest and store the water. The India rainwater harvesting market size is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 9.88% between 2022 and 2027. The market size is forecasted to increase by USD 61.12 million. With the right strategies to manage water scarcity, we as a nation can avoid severe difficulties. Bengaluru experienced both extremes: drought conditions this year and severe flooding in previous years. Similar situations occur in Chennai and Kerala annually. There are solutions worldwide that we can learn from. The Netherlands, for example, manages its below-sea-level country through efficient water networks and management systems. While India’s diverse geography and population density pose unique challenges, some adaptable lessons and technologies can help.

Innovation in the startup Arena 

Adversity paves the way for innovation and these adverse conditions have led to a boom in sustainability startups in India. Technologies for water conservation during rainfall, like rainwater harvesting, can be crucial. Bhoomru, an Ahmedabad-based company, conserves water for farmers during rainfall, providing a resource during droughts. Commercial buildings and societies can also adopt rainwater harvesting. Rejuvenating lakes and water bodies, instead of continuous construction and concreting, is essential. In Ahmedabad, the drastic change over the past few years has been evident. Heavy rains now flood the streets because every inch of ground is concretised, leaving no space for water absorption to recharge groundwater levels.  This is where innovative companies like Ekam Eco Solutions come in. Officially, Ekam Eco Solutions started in 2013, but the idea began in 2009 as a college project. The inspiration came from observing the pollution of rivers like Yamuna, Ganga, and Mithi River, and lakes like Belandur Lake in Bengaluru. In Ahmedabad, the Sabarmati River faces similar issues. These water bodies are treated like large drainage systems, carrying sewage from residential and commercial areas. For example, Delhi has around 300 to 350 drain lines from these areas flowing into the Yamuna, with only about one-third of the sewage being treated. The untreated sewage contains urine, faeces, wash water, and chemical cleaners. This mix forms a challenging cocktail to treat effectively, overwhelming treatment facilities and leading to further pollution. This linear system of consumption and disposal wastes valuable nutrients found in urine and faeces, which contain nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus—natural fertilisers for crops. Instead of harnessing these nutrients, we rely on artificial fertilisers. Ekam’s goal was to close this loop, safely treating and recycling waste to create a sustainable system. Ekam, meaning interconnectedness in Sanskrit, believes that food, health, hygiene, sanitation, and nature are all connected. Disturbing one affects the others, so restoring these connections is crucial.

In researching and developing solutions, Ekam found that one immediate issue was excessive flushing in restrooms. Toilets and urinals, especially, consume large amounts of water. While solid waste needs flushing, urine, being liquid, doesn’t—if managed for odour, which is primarily ammonia. Ekam developed a waterless urinal to collect undiluted urine for nutrient extraction. Existing waterless urinals had flaws; they used chemicals and cartridges and weren't designed for Indian conditions. We designed a mechanical, chemical-free, cost-effective, and retrofittable waterless urinal. With support from IIT Delhi, Ekam officially started, focusing on converting the concept into a product. Field trials, experimentation, and prototyping led to the launch of waterless urinals. This entry into sanitation expanded to end-to-end solutions, addressing water conservation, chemical contamination, and treatment.

Zerodor waterless urinals are Ekam’s flagship product. They function without water through a mechanical non-return valve that allows urine to flow into the drain line but prevents gases from returning to the restroom, keeping it odour-free. This eliminates the need for flushing. Economically, each waterless urinal saves between 50,000 to 150,000 litres of water annually. For commercial buildings or institutions with many urinals, this translates into millions of litres saved. Reducing water use also lessens the load on sewage systems, decreases electricity and water treatment costs, and lowers carbon footprints. These urinals are more hygienic due to their dry surface, reducing health risks associated with wet surfaces. Benefits also include compliance with environmental norms, eligibility for green building certifications, and overall sustainability improvements.

Collaborations between the private and public sectors play a crucial role in addressing issues like water scarcity in India. Ekam Eco Solutions has benefited significantly from partnerships with institutions like IIT Delhi and organisations such as FICCI and DCB Bank. Partnering with even competitors can be beneficial. For instance, IIT Delhi acts as a technology partner, providing access to intellectual resources, lab facilities, and expert advice, which is invaluable for a small organisation with limited resources. With DCB Bank, the collaboration is more aligned with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Through DCB Bank’s CSR fund, Ekam has implemented waterless urinals, sewage treatment facilities, and composting solutions in various institutions, including the defence sector (Army, Navy, Air Force), Railways, temple complexes, public places, and private organisations. This partnership helps scale operations, reach more people, and demonstrate the efficacy of their products. 

 Finding Fulfilment in Sustainable Entrepreneurship

In all my years of being a sustainability entrepreneur, as the founder and CEO of Ekam EcoSolutions, I have learned numerous leadership lessons throughout my journey. One key lesson is the importance of maintaining a positive outlook, patience, and faith that things will improve. The journey can be challenging, often requiring efforts to acquire customers and manage team members, which can sometimes be frustrating. However, the belief that progress, even if slow, is inevitable, is vital.

Patience is crucial—patience with oneself, the activities undertaken, the results, and the team. Despite occasional feelings of isolation, the journey can be incredibly rewarding. Witnessing even small positive changes within the organisation or in the wider community brings immense satisfaction. Seeing team members achieve personal milestones, like buying a new phone or house, or watching their children go to school, provides a deep sense of fulfilment. Additionally, knowing that billions of litres of water have been saved in recent years is gratifying. Only embark on this journey if you are passionate about the work and believe it will make a difference. The title of CEO and other fancy designations are not reasons to pursue entrepreneurship; genuine interest and connection to the work are essential. Otherwise, a traditional job might offer more stability and satisfaction.

Reflecting on the progress made as a nation in terms of water conservation and sustainable development, it's evident that one of our significant achievements is the initiation of dialogue around these crucial issues. While tangible impacts may not always be immediately visible, the mere acknowledgement of these challenges and the need to address them marks a crucial starting point. Initiatives like the Swachh Bharat Mission, which evolved from the earlier Nirmal Bharat Mission, gained widespread attention when brought to the forefront by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on national platforms. Events like the Conference of the Parties (COP) hosted by India also contribute to raising awareness and fostering discussions on sanitation, accessibility to toilets, water scarcity, and other related topics.

Participation in platforms like Shark Tank India further underscores the growing awareness and acceptance of conversations around sanitation and sustainability. Being featured on prime-time television opens up discussions about topics traditionally considered taboo, such as toilets and waste management, even during dinner conversations. This increasing awareness is crucial for driving societal change and fostering collective action towards sustainable development goals. Moreover, the involvement of major conglomerates like Adani's and Tata's, in projects like Namami Ganga reflects a shift towards corporate responsibility and engagement in environmental conservation efforts. Additionally, the emergence of startups focusing on sewage treatment, manual scavenging, open defecation, and infrastructure monitoring highlights a growing interest in leveraging technology to address longstanding challenges in these areas. Integration of technologies like IoT and AI into traditionally overlooked segments signifies a significant advancement in managing infrastructural assets and enhancing efficiency. While there's still much progress to be made, these developments signify a positive trajectory towards a more sustainable and environmentally conscious future. The collective efforts of both governmental and private entities, coupled with increasing public awareness, lay the foundation for further advancements in water conservation and sustainable development initiatives.