India, one of the world’s most populated nations, faces substantial challenges related to wastewater management. According to a report by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in 2020-2021, around 72,368 MLD of sewage is generated out of which only 20,236 MLD (28%) is effectively treated. The rest 72% of wastewater gets discharged into various waterbodies like lakes, rivers, and open drains which ultimately leads to contamination of available resources. Wastewater treatment facilities are a significant source of hazardous greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This is because the process of wastewater treatment causes a release of GHGs into the atmosphere which ultimately contributes to climate change. However, there is a gap between the estimates provided by the Global Greenhouse Gas Program of India (GHGPI) and those submitted to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Government of India. To resolve this disparity, it’s imperative to engage in extensive discussions and cooperation with relevant stakeholders.

The TERI’s report on “Wastewater Inventorisation and Review of National Practice for Reporting GHG Emissions from Wastewater” aims to analyze the existing reporting methodologies employed by the Government of India and identify opportunities for improvement by comparing it with the IPCC methodology. This project report also depicts recommended actions for improvement in the precision and comprehensiveness of GHG emission estimation.

Balotra stands as a significant industrial hub within the Barmer district of Rajasthan situated beside the Luni River. In the context of the region’s water scarcity and surging water demand, a CETP+ZLD plant is established by Balotra Water Pollution Control and Reverse Osmosis Private Limited (BWPCT & ROPL), and comprises several key components, including media filters, UF system, RO system, sludge dewatering unit and reject management system. TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute) was approached by BWPCT & ROPL to conduct an audit of the design and work executed by the contractor on site.

The project report provided a comprehensive assessment of the 18 MLD ZLD plant with a clear understanding of its current state, performance, and areas for improvement. By addressing the identified gaps and implementing the recommended enhancements, the plant can achieve its full potential in terms of design and operational efficiency. The findings and recommendations presented in this report serve as a roadmap for required actions, ensuring that the ZLD plant continues to play a vital role in Balotra’s industrial wastewater management and contributes to the region’s sustainable development.

The Bandhwari Landfill is in Gurugram, Haryana, and serves as a dumping site for all kinds of solid waste leading to 350 KLD of leachate. The inadequate leachate treatment at the existing Leachate Treatment Plant (LTP) and its poor management may contaminate the limited groundwater available in the area. In order to address the issue, the Haryana State Pollution Board (HSPCB) and MCG authorities approached TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute) to find a feasible and sustainable solution for an adequate and holistic solution for the treatment of Landfill Leachate from Bandhwari.

TERI’s Team led by Dr. Nupur Bahadur, Associate Director, Environment & Waste Management Division of TERI, explored the feasibility of integration of TADOX Technology in current treatment practices. TERI’s report with the holistic Technology Integration Plan to treat Bandhwari Landfill Leachate aims at protecting groundwater resources and promoting sustainable waste management practices, ultimately ensuring the well-being of the local communities residing near such landfill areas.

The Indian Textile Industry plays a very significant role in the economic development of the country and accounts for 2.3% of its GDP but at the same time, the textile and dyeing industry is exceptionally water-intensive for processing textile materials. It is estimated that about 1.6 million liters of water is used daily for processing 8000 kilograms of textile materials followed by the release of harmful chemicals and dyes into the environment, posing a severe threat to the ecosystem. In the water treatment process, the inadequately treated coloured water goes as the feed for tertiary treatment and creates associated problems of choking and biofouling of membranes which ultimately make Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) and overall management highly resource and energy intensive.

In this context, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), New Delhi, has developed a novel technology called TERI Advanced Oxidation Technology (TADOX) which involves UV/TiO2 Photocatalysis as an Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP) which removes colour and dissolved organic matter from the effluent, help achieve ZLD in much resource and energy efficient manner. With the development of this novel approach, the inventor of the TADOX Technology, Dr. Nupur Bahadur, Associate Director, TERI has received a Silver Award in the prestigious International Water Association (IWA) Project Technology Innovation Awards 2024 at the IWA World Water Congress and Exhibition 2024 for the project titled “Integration of TADOX Technology to achieve Net Zero in Textile Wastewater Treatment” where TADOX has been successfully piloted in Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) of a Textile Hosiery Paek in Rooma Industrial Area, Kanpur, UP.

This study depicts the successful execution of TADOX technology at the CETP in Rooma, Kanpur under the Namami Gange Mission, funded by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), Ministry of Jal Shakti, Govt. of India. Tadox’s integration at the pre-biological stage together with ZLD systems is expected to enhance treatment efficacy and environmental sustainability as evidenced by Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies.

Textile Wastewater Treatment faces many issues however the most challenging is the removal of colour and chemicals, which are organic in nature with complex dyes and pigments which are not able to be removed by conventional and biological treatment technologies. The treatment process is water-intensive and various other challenges lie in the practical adoption of traditional systems. One of them is handling diverse wastewater types from industrial sources that contain heavy metals and other hazardous pollutant types. In 2015, the Indian government implemented Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) in polluted textile clusters in response to mounting concerns about pollution and water scarcity.

Using UV/TiO2 photocatalysis based on the Advanced Oxidation process in existing wastewater treatment systems is the main goal of this study in order to improve the treatment of textile effluents. It is anticipated that the research will demonstrate the efficacy of the enhanced oxidation method as a practical treatment choice for both synthetic and actual textile effluents. Moreover, the current study contributes to improving industrial wastewater treatment's economic feasibility, environmental sustainability, and efficiency, especially concerning the Indian textile sector.

As one of India’s developing modern urban centres, Bengaluru is experiencing unprecedented growth in its industrial, commercial, and institutional sectors. As a result, the population of the city has grown significantly in a very short period of time. To provide better infrastructure in the surrounding urban areas bordering the Bengaluru core area, the Government of Karnataka (GoK) in 2007 extended the jurisdiction of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Palika (BBMP) to cover an additional 110 villages along with existing core areas and 8 ULBs.

The global practice team of World Bank Group and the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) came together and identified The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) to undertake a project to assess the existing wastewater generation and treatment facilities in Bengaluru, recognize available advanced treatment technologies of wastewater and sludge management and to maximize the recovery of resources and its utilization, such as biosolids, biogas, and reusable treated water. Hence, this project report aims to determine the need for infrastructural expansion to support the additional 110 villages by focusing on innovation, fiscal discipline, resource recovery, and sustainable growth consistent with the vision and goals of the BWSSB and transform BWSSB into the Utility of the Future (UOTF).