Demand-supply gap of water in India to increase salinity

New Delhi, Nov 3 (UNI) Spiralling demand with sharp decrease in availability could make the existing water saline and unfit for human use unless fresh technology to reverse the process is not introduced, experts today said.

In Delhi there are small columns of fresh water under which saline water is present. But the local people use tube-wells to pump out the fresh water without knowing about the amount of fresh water available.

Due to this fresh water can exhaust and saline water would take it place. Places like Muradnagar, where water is available in good amount, are flood plains from where water can be pumped out whenever required so that the water level in these areas remains the same when the rain comes.

''Scientific developments are needed in the industrial areas like in "RO systems" so that the methods of disposal of the polluted water can be managed and is dumped in a very deep saline water so that it does not cause any harm.'' Central Ground Water Board Chairman Saleem Romani said while innaugurating "Water Asia 2006", a leading exhibition on water industry here.

Water Asia is staged for the 7th time in India and provides the perfect platform to facilitate a business growth in water sector.

Water Asia will continue till tomorrow at Pragati Maidan here.

Mr Romani said water management is the main issue in India and without understanding the basic norms and quality management, a lot of companies is coming up with new names in water industry.

''People should be aware of where water has to be used, how it has to be used and when it has to be used, and then only we would be able to save water,'' he said.

Pentair Water CEO Gautam Khanna said, Indian economy has been growing at a rate of about 8 per cent and is forecast to continue doing so in the foreseeable future.

The need for commodities, raw material, skilled manpower and infrastructure will continue to grow. Luckily, electricity can be generated, roads and ports built, people trained but water has to be recycled in every form, he said.

There is only a finite amount going around and that is under threat. Delhi dumps 33 per cent of its untreated sewage into the Yamuna making it one of the most polluted rivers used as a source of drinking water.

''As an industry we must champion the creation of standards, consumer awareness and a system of governance to enforce them. A standard does not mean we demand ultra-pure water, it means that a product or service delivers what it claims to.'' Are we quality conscious and deliver or buy what is right or we are cost conscious and deliver or buy the cheapest solutions? There is no standard for the product and in Delhi alone there are 150 brands available.

A firstly step for the water industry would be to identify those aspects for which standards need to be set, Mr Khanna said.

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