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Market Reports

Wastewater Treatment Sector in India

UJA | Market Reports - Wastewater Treatment Sector in India

1

Overview: Wastewater Treatment Sector in India

2

National Status of Waste Water Generation & Treatment

3

Top Five Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) in India in terms of Capacity

4

Sewage Treatment Plants Technology Outlook

Overview: Wastewater Treatment Sector in India

India’s current population is around 1.4 Bn. Of the total population, 65% live in rural areas, and 35% are concentrated in urban centers
As currently only 28% (20,236 MLD) of wastewater is treated. This implies that 72% of the wastewater remains untreated and may be disposed of in rivers/ lakes/groundwater
It is estimated that by 2050, 50% of the country’s population will be in urban cities
The estimated wastewater generation is approximately 39,604 Million Litres per Day (MLD) in the rural regions, while in the urban centers, the wastewater generation has been estimated as 72,368 MLD
However, due to the aforementioned fast-paced urbanization in Indian cities and towns, the need for drinking water is also increasing and takes precedence over competing rural water demands, such as irrigation
Many of these developing cities are located in important river basin catchments, consuming large quantities of freshwater and discharging wastewater back into the catchments, thus contaminating irrigation water
This has raised serious concerns and challenges for urban wastewater management for urban and rural water planners and decision-makers
The wastewater generation from Class I cities (having more than 10 lakh population) and Class II cities (having 0.5 to 1.0 lakh population) is estimated as 33,212 MLD at the current time
Against this, the existing capacity of sewage treatment is only 6,190 MLD. There is still a 79% (22,939 MLD) capacity gap between sewage generation and existing sewage treatment capacity
In 2050, sewage treatment capacity in India is estimated to be 80% of sewage generation
It is estimated that 96,378 MLD of treated wastewater will be available for reuse by 2050
Y-o-y growth of 209% was witnessed with 1.0 million registered EVs in FY23, as compared to FY22
FDI worth USD 35.4 billion from April 2000 to September 2023 which is around 5.5% of the total FDI inflows in India during the same period
In the Union Budget 2023, the government has increased the budget allocation of (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles) FAME II by 78%
Wastewater Generation & Treatment Capacity Gap at City Level in India (2023)
Wastewater Generation & Treatment Capacity
Storage, transport, and treatment Mechanism of an off-site and on-site treatment system
Storage, transport, and treatment Mechanism

National Status of Waste Water Generation & Treatment

Wastewater treatment

Top Five Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) in India in terms of Capacity

Plant Name Treatment Capacity  (in MLD) Location
Okhla Wastewater Treatment Plant 564 Okhla, New Delhi
Koramangala and Challaghatta Valley Project 440 Bengaluru
Coronation Pillar 318 North Delhi
Kodungaiyur 270 Chennai
Kondli 204 East Delhi
  • Okhla wastewater treatment plant with a capacity of 564 MLD is the largest STP in Asia and the fourth largest globally
  • This plant is a network of six STPs designed with the newest technology and equipped to produce five megawatts of green power from the emanating sludge
  • Okhla STP is developed under Yamuna Action Plan – III
  • Bangalore’s Koramangala and Challaghatta (K&C) Valley Project consists of three sewage treatment plants that have a total capacity of 440 MLD
  • One of the largest STPs in the nation, the Coronation Pillar Sewage Treatment Plant in North Delhi was completed by the Delhi Jal Board in March 2022 to purify the Yamuna River
  • Every day, 318 MLD of wastewater can be treated by it
  • The 50% of the capital cost of this project is borne by National Mission for Clean Ganga and remaining 50% by the Delhi Government
  • With a capacity to treat over 270 million liters of sewage, Kodungaiyur STP is the largest STP in the Chennai metropolitan area
  • Three capacities are combined to form Kodungaiyur STP: 110 MLD + 80 MLD + 80 MLD
  • The project is run by the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board and now it is processing 230 MLD of sewage per day
  • The Delhi Jal Board developed Kondli Wastewater Treatment Plant under Yamuna Action Plan-III
  • Two projects in Kondli will have a capacity of each have 45 MLD, while one will have a 114 MLD capacity and the total capacity of this project is 204-MLD

 

Sewage Treatment Plants Technology Outlook

Technology Technology Type Number Capacity (in MLD)
Activated Sludge Process (ASP) Conventional 321 9,486
Sequencing Batch Reactors (SBR) Conventional 490 10,638
Extended Aeration (EA) Advanced 30 474
Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) Advanced 76 3,562
Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) Advanced 201 2,032
Fluidized Aerobic Bed Reactor (FAB) Advanced 21 242
Waste Stabilization Pond (WSP) Natural 67 789
Oxidation Pond (OP) Natural 61 460
Others (Aerated Lagoon (AL), Bio-Tower, Electro Coagulation (EC) etc.) − 364 8,497
  • The outlook for sewage treatment plant technology in India is optimistic as the country strives to address its growing wastewater management challenges
  • The integration of smart monitoring systems and automation technologies is expected to improve the operational efficiency of sewage treatment plants
  • Real-time monitoring, data analytics, and remote control systems can optimize plant performance, reduce energy consumption, and enable predictive maintenance
  • To bridge the funding gap and promote private sector participation, public-private partnerships (PPPs) are being encouraged
  • PPP models enable the transfer of technology, expertise, and funding to develop and operate sewage treatment plants efficiently
  • Overall, the outlook for sewage treatment plant technology in India is focused on adopting advanced and sustainable solutions, decentralized approaches, resource recovery, and leveraging technology for efficient operation and maintenance
  • These developments aim to address the challenges of wastewater management, improve water quality, and promote a circular economy approach in the treatment of sewage

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