The rapid depletion of groundwater reserves of Ahmedabad has made the state urban development department consider supplying treated recycled wastewater to industries. Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has suggested that industries buy treated water from it at the rate of Rs 43 per kilolitre for industrial purposes. The proposal is in line with the guidelines issued by the Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organisation. Surat Municipal Corporation has already implemented the measure at the same price.
Currently, around 4,000 industrial units in Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) clusters in Odhav, Naroda, Narol, and Vatva draw groundwater from their own borewells. They incur a cost of Rs 17 per kilolitre — Rs 8 for pumping and an additional Rs 9 for water treatment. Buying treated water from the AMC will mean a 153 per cent rise in the water input costs for the GIDC based units.
