changeadminThe Bureau of Water Use Efficiency (BWUE) under the National Water Mission (NWM), Ministry of Jal Shakti, in association with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), organized a one-day conference titled ‘Water Sustainability Conference 2025’, with a focus on Industrial Water Use Efficiency.
The conference was held on 12th March 2025 at the NDMC Convention Centre in New Delhi.
The event was inaugurated by the Minister of Jal Shakti, Mr C. R. Patil, who highlighted the Government’s commitment towards promoting industrial water use efficiency through innovative technologies and strategic frameworks.
Water Sustainability Conference brought together various ministries, organisations, policymakers, industry leaders, water management experts, and stakeholders to deliberate on strategies and technological advancements to enhance water use efficiency in the industrial sector.
Additionally, more than 20 distinguished speakers shared valuable insights and best practices, contributing to thought-provoking discussions on sustainable water use in the industrial sector.
The Minister of Jal Shakti stated that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, transformative initiatives like the Jal Jeevan Mission and Jal Shakti Abhiyan are revolutionizing water management and ensuring sustainable conservation of our water resources.
He further emphasized that these efforts extend to enhancing industrial water use efficiency by advocating for innovative technologies that optimize recycling and reduce wastage across the industrial sector.
Mr Patil emphasized that industries must lead water conservation efforts by adopting the 4R approach— a mantra given by the Prime Minister of India- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Recharge. He also reiterated Respect as the fifth mantra.
He highlighted the need for innovative water management solutions and showcased successful models like PEPL Kadodara, Surat, and the Vapi Paper Industry, which have significantly improved water use efficiency.
Mr Patil reiterated that economic growth and water sustainability must go hand in hand, urging industries to actively participate in rainwater harvesting and sustainable water use initiatives.
The inaugural session also featured insightful remarks from Ministers of State, Mr Raj Bhushan Choudhary and Mr V. Somanna, who stressed the importance of government-industry collaboration in advancing water conservation efforts.
Dr Raj Bhushan Choudhary, Minister of State for Jal Shakti mentioned that ‘industries must embrace the idea of circular economy where water is treated, reused and recycled within the system’ and adapt processing technologies that promote Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE).
A keynote address was delivered by Ms. Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary at Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR, RD&GR), Ministry of Jal Shakti, focusing on the critical role of storage, groundwater recharge, river health and industrial effluent discharge and partnership of industries in enhancing WUE through collaboration in these areas.
Dr. Syamal Kumar Sarkar, distinguished fellow TERI and former WR and DoPT Secretary, highlighted that water demand is increasing in all sectors in India, and being a finite resource, it is likely to exceed the water supply.
He further mentioned that industrial water demand is estimated to be 151 Billion Cubic Metre (BCM) by 2050. Unless there is improved water use efficiency in all sectors, including the industrial sector, economic growth will suffer and people will be impacted due to scarce water resources.
During the Water Sustainability Conference, industry leaders shared successful models of water-efficient industrial practices, stressing the importance of policy incentives and capacity building to accelerate adoption.
The conference emphasized the need to encourage industries to self-regulate through industrial water audits, adaptation of water efficient processes and recycling, reuse and groundwater recharge.
Fostering industry-government partnerships, encouraging industries to adopt advanced technologies, marking water footprint on industrial products, strengthening policy frameworks like BIS Standards and promoting disclosure of real-time water usage data, were also highlighted for bringing water efficiency and decision support systems.
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