Budget 2023 expectations: What plumbing, water and sanitation industry expects from govt

The plumbing, water and  sanitation industry has high hopes from the Union Budget of 2023-24. The Budget will be presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sithartaman on Febtuary 1. The industry is anticipating a focused approach toward making the industry aligned with future-readiness.

According to the United Nations' most recent population projections, India will replace China as the world's most populous country in 2023 and will retain that title until 2100. According to the 2030 Water Resources Group, if we continue to consume water at the current rate, India will only have half the water it requires by 2030—a ten-year flashpoint.

Gurmit Singh Arora, national president, Indian Plumbing Association, said that only 4 per cent of the limited freshwater resources exist. Freshwater sources are under heavy stress. Water demand continues to outstrip supply, and this is predicted to increase by 40 per cent by 2030.

"Individuals all over the world are dealing with a major challenge: the accessibility of fresh water resources," he noted.

Going by data, although India has 18 per cent of the world's population, it only has 4 per cent of the world's freshwater resources.

"It is already water-stressed, with only 1,544 cu m available per capita. Industrial water usage is rarely given the attention it deserves when it comes to water scarcity. While industrial water usage is one issue, sewage ejection, which can massively contaminate our rivers and eventually contaminate fresh water, is another. Major measures must be put in place as soon as possible to make water use more sustainable, efficient, and guided by a better understanding of how our water resources can be managed effectively to benefit future generations," Gurmit said.

He said that the need of the hour is that the government should advocate for funds to treat and reuse wastewater. There is a need to spread awareness about the treatment of wastewater and start reducing the quantity of freshwater squandered. More campaigns should be launched by the government to raise awareness and educate domestic areas and people for the future.

With a water crisis looming over urban India, it's critical to examine how Singapore turned its water story around, he said. Despite being one of the world's rainiest countries, Singapore suffers from water scarcity. Singapore is entirely dependent on rain and imports fresh water from Malaysia. Due to a scarcity of water, it has been forced to create potable, municipal and industrial water through recycling and renewal, resulting in 'New Water'.

He said that India can save about 20 per cent of fresh water just by using a rainwater harvesting system.

"The water shortages is an instinctual and man-made concern that millions of individuals in India and around the globe are attempting to deal with. While the government has done a significant amount in terms of budgetary allocation of funds to support the building of assets for both rural and urban sanitary conditions, there are still areas that require policy support to ensure that these funds are deployed where they have the greatest impact," Gurmit said.

He added that the Budget should aid in the facilitation of more partnerships between both the private sector and the government,  where the Department of Sanitation and Drinking Water aims to establish public-private alliances to provide both solid and liquid waste management framework across all 6.4 lakh villages in India by 2024.

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