Sanitation, building toilets, sewage in cities, urban water management systems, and river pollution exist together. For instance, sanitation is not just about the number of toilets constructed all over the country but more about the will to create an entire system that looks after both disposal and treatment.
One may ask how water management is connected to sewage disposal and treatment. According to Sopan Joshi, the writer of ‘Jal Thal Mal’, ‘the merging of sewage and storm water channels is a significant contributor to river pollution in Indian cities. Addressing this issue requires a multifaceted approach, including better infrastructure, public awareness, and sustained investment in urban water management systems.’ The phenomenon of merging the city sewage system and storm water drainage system is in every Indian city and is a major factor contributing to river pollution. One article points out how this merged sewage and storm water drainage cause water body pollution: ‘Indian cities often have combined sewer systems in which storm water and sewage is collected in the same network of pipes. During dry weather, this system can manage the flow of wastewater to treatment plants. However, during the monsoon season or heavy rainfall, the capacity of these combined sewer systems is frequently exceeded, resulting in an overflow of untreated sewage and storm water into rivers and lakes.’ Added to this are the aging systems plagued by no maintenance and ‘jugadu’ repair jobs, infrastructure that was designed for cities that have now exponentially increased in size and density, insufficient funds allocated for this sector, poor implementation of norms, and a complete lack of political will to get this work done.
Urban India generates an estimated 62,000 million liters per day (MLD) of sewage according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and barely 37% of this gets treated. There is a serious shortfall in our current treatment of sewage capacity… and the result is that untreated or partially treated sewage is discharged into water bodies. A report by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) mentions that over 70% of India’s surface water is contaminated, with around 275 rivers classified as polluted. The primary causes of this contamination include untreated sewage, industrial effluents, and agricultural runoff. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) also highlights that water pollution in India leads to economic losses amounting to approximately 2.5% of the country’s GDP. These losses stem from health impacts, reduced agricultural productivity, and the increased costs of water treatment. These statistics say it all. India needs enhanced sewage management and effective implementation of initiatives like the Smart Cities Mission, AMRUT, and the Namami Gange Programme.
Look at the reasons that have led to this colossal failure of governments and the bureaucracy over decades and you will know that the statistics quoted in the above paragraph are only poised to get worse. No, I am not trying to paint a pessimistic picture but simply pointing out that environmental and health impacts on society are going to be massive in the coming years. It is obvious that contamination of water and environmental degradation leads to a disruption of aquatic ecosystems, and the spread of waterborne diseases.
We need sustained political will to take decisions that improve urban infrastructure, a contemporary restructuring of the sewage and storm water drainage systems, collection, disposal, and treatment of sewage, and a healthy public and community participation to help any kind of conservation effort.
Mahatma Gandhi once said, ‘sanitation is more important than independence,’ and PM Modi has also added that ‘our rivers are our lifelines. Clean rivers are vital to a healthy nation. Even Sopan Joshi, an environmental researcher and author, aptly puts it, ‘Urban water management in India is at a crossroads. Sustainable solutions and community involvement are imperative to ensure our cities can meet the growing demands without compromising on environmental health.’
From sewage to sustainability is a serious urban water challenge that cannot be solved unless every section of the governed and the those who govern come together. The dark underbelly of urban sanitation that is all too apparent now is a definition of the confluence of neglect. The common man knows how political apathy has encouraged the flow of inaction to turn their very existence into an untreated reality and they know this must end. Take the case of the election results of Delhi in 2025… freebies, gifts, entreaties, and temptations failed. What won was the common man’s concern for life. People no longer wish to have rivers of despair mis-shape their destiny. The political masters of Delhi and any other state in India will have to turn their focus towards lasting solutions for urban waterways, urban sanitation, and urban decay. The battle for clean water and fresh air can no longer be postponed.
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Arvind Passey
Written on 12 February 2025
