State making policy attempt to re-use sewage water: Devendra Fadnavis

The state government is finalising a new policy that will enable the use of treated sewage water from cities for bulk users such as industries, power plants and Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) areas. This will help divert potable water earmarked for these units to urban areas, while also helping overcome the problem of water pollution. These projects will be funded through public–private partnership (PPP) and gap financing models.

Speaking in the state Legislative Assembly on Friday, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said they were making a policy attempt to re-use sewage water. Noting that the disposal of this waste led to pollution outside cities and trouble for rural areas, he said the state government was working on a new policy that will look into processing and tertiary treatment of sewage.

Noting that areas Mumbai's extended suburbs, such as Mira Bhayender and Ulhasnagar, were facing acute water problems, Fadnavis said the sewage could be processed and given to these bulk users. He added the industrial units were also demanding water and pointing to how they would have to shut down otherwise.

"This will be given to bulk users so it will be easy for municipal corporations and councils to process this sewage. Also, fresh water will be saved," said Fadnavis.

He further noted that while urbanisation was on a rise in Maharashtra, it was not matched by parallel infrastructural growth, leading to problems in supplying drinking water and disposing solid waste and sewage.