Technological Solutions for Water Sustainability: Challenges and Prospects: Towards a Water-secure India
This book provides an overview of technical sustainable water management in the Global South, mainly in India, and is structured in five sections:
The current status and challenges for sustainable water management in India
New-age materials for water and wastewater treatment
New technologies for water and wastewater treatment
Sensors for water quality monitoring
Urban water management
Section 1 provides the latest information about the status and challenges for sustainable water management in India from the perspective of water quality, industrial and domestic wastewater treatment, urban water infrastructure and policy and governance towards water security. Section 2 discusses new framework solids for water purification, new materials for arsenic and fluoride removal, nanocomposites for water and wastewater treatment and removal of hazardous materials, and toxicity of these materials. Section 3 presents the new technologies developed for water and wastewater treatment; dealing with pulsed power technology, constructed wetlands, nutrient recovery, low-cost filters and pollution abatement using waste derived materials. Section 4 focuses on sensors, including the development of low-cost colorimetric sensors for eutrophying ions, sensors for conductivity and flow parameters, and multi-analyte assessment for water quality. Finally, Section 5 addresses the issues related to urban water infrastructure, sustainable urban drainage and integrated flood and water scarcity management.
This section also discusses virtual water.
The unique feature of this edited volume is its special perspective on emerging economies in the Global South, such as India. It provides information about adaption of technologies, development of new technologies, and management practices which are context driven and region specific. It also deals with economical and easy to use sensors for large-scale monitoring of water quality and water quantity parameters.
ISBN: 9781789063707 (paperback)
ISBN: 9781789063714 (eBook)
Chapter 2: Water quality status and challenges in India and Nepal
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Published:November 2023
Syed Arwa A. Balkhi, Bhesh Kumar Karki, Ligy Philip, Shihabudheen M. Maliyekkal, 2023. "Water quality status and challenges in India and Nepal", Technological Solutions for Water Sustainability: Challenges and Prospects: Towards a Water-secure India, Ligy Philip, Thalappil Pradeep, S. Murty Bhallamudi
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Water is a life-sustaining sector, and adequate access to safe water is fundamental to a healthy life and driving countries’ economic growth. It is an endowment from nature that must be protected and defended. However, the gross negligence and mismanagement of the water bodies, poor sanitation facilities, improper handling of liquid and solid wastes, and uncontrolled population growth pose a severe threat to the freshwater sector in developing economies like India. The widespread presence of healthcare products, pharmaceutically active compounds, and similar unregulated compounds in freshwater is an emerging concern due to their increasing societal dependence. These pollutants are causing additional threats to the dwindling freshwater reserves and posing significant challenges to achieving water quality objectives. The frequency of occurrence of geogenic pollutants, including radioactive pollutants, is also increased due to anthropogenic factors. Though various measures have been taken to address the problem, lack of planning, regulatory guidelines, poor institutional framework, and corruption have hampered the beneficial outcome. As a result, many underprivileged people from rural and urban areas in India and other nations in the Global South still lack access to safe drinking water. Considering the complexity of the problem, a comprehensive approach is needed to improve the existing condition and provide safe water to everyone. This chapter reviews various challenges pertaining to water quality in India and Nepal and solutions to obtain water quality objectives in a sustainable way.