High population growth, increasing urbanization and rapid economic development are exerting pressure on the already scarce water resources in India. Treatment and reuse of wastewater can play an important role in addressing some of the urban water challenges. Conventional treatment plants have many challenges, therefore, natural treatment systems (NTSs) are viewed as a cost-effective alternative, which are more suitable in the Indian context. This study builds on a desktop study of NTSs and presents a rapid sustainability assessment of 12 NTSs, highlighting the potential and viability of NTSs in India. The results show that the NTSs have a high potential for wastewater treatment. However, there are still gaps in knowledge related to aspects that hinder the sustainability of the systems. Risks associated with reuse of treated wastewater in agriculture, operational problems and social acceptance were perceived as frequent challenges. Self-sustaining financing methods and the use of by-products were viewed as added benefits.
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Research Article|
June 10 2013
Potential of natural treatment technologies for wastewater management in India
M. Starkl;
1Centre for Environmental Management and Decision Support, Gregor Mendel Strasse 33, 1180 Vienna, Austria
E-mail: markus.starkl@boku.ac.at
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P. Amerasinghe;
P. Amerasinghe
2International Water Management Institute, Regional Office, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India
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L. Essl;
L. Essl
1Centre for Environmental Management and Decision Support, Gregor Mendel Strasse 33, 1180 Vienna, Austria
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M. Jampani;
M. Jampani
2International Water Management Institute, Regional Office, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India
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D. Kumar;
D. Kumar
3Centre for Environmental Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India
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S. R. Asolekar
S. R. Asolekar
3Centre for Environmental Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India
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Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development (2013) 3 (4): 500–511.
Article history
Received:
January 19 2013
Accepted:
March 31 2013
Citation
M. Starkl, P. Amerasinghe, L. Essl, M. Jampani, D. Kumar, S. R. Asolekar; Potential of natural treatment technologies for wastewater management in India. Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development 1 December 2013; 3 (4): 500–511. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/washdev.2013.016
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Impact Factor 1.786
CiteScore 2.2 • Q2
38 days from submission to first decision on average