Smart Water Management Policy Urged in India

Kolkata, Oct 31 (PTI) The Indian Plumbing Association (IPA) on Friday called for policy-level interventions to ensure sustainable water use amid rising urban demand, and proposed a four-point charter to the West Bengal government aimed at strengthening water efficiency and reuse across the built environment.

Highlighting India's mounting water stress, IPA National President Gurmit Singh Arora said the country, with 18 per cent of the world's population but only 4 per cent of its freshwater resources, faces one of the world's most severe water crises.

"Nearly 600 million people in India are exposed to high to extreme water stress, and per capita water availability is nearing the scarcity threshold of 1,000 cubic metres per person. Major cities like Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad could face complete groundwater depletion by 2030," Arora warned.

He added that rapid urbanisation and construction growth have intensified the strain on water resources. As of January 2025, over 17.59 billion square feet of built-up area was under development across more than 55,000 projects nationwide, accounting for about 10 per cent of India's total water use a figure projected to rise by 50 per cent by 2030.


In this context, IPA's four-point charter urges the state government to mandate low-flow plumbing fixtures and sanitaryware across all buildings to achieve up to 50 per cent water savings, make water audits compulsory for all buildings to assess consumption and identify efficiency improvements.

It also sought to ensure treatment and reuse of both black and grey water in residential and commercial establishments and form a partnership with IPA to help conduct water audits and support conservation initiatives.

Arora noted that the West Bengal government's encouragement of green-certified buildings has already fostered growth in sustainable infrastructure that uses fewer resources and is more water-efficient.

Meanwhile, IPA announced a three-day 31st Indian Plumbing Conference in Kolkata from November 13 to 15.

Industry experts, policymakers, and technologists are expected to deliberate on real-time water monitoring through AI and IoT, wastewater treatment innovations, and strategies for achieving water-neutral buildings'?aligning with national programmes such as Jal Jeevan Mission and AMRUT 2.0, and contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.