(a) whether the Government is proposing to make it mandatory for the big industries to file
water return;
(b) if so, the details of information necessary to be mentioned by the big industries in filing
water return;
(c) whether the industries do not reutilise the drained out dirty water and the used water by
recycling the same at present; and
(d) if so, the steps being taken by the Government in this regard?
THE MINISTER OF WATER RESOURCES (SHRI HARISH RAWAT)
(a) & (b) The Twelfth Five Year Plan (2012-2017) Document envisages enforcing ‘water returns’ by
major water using industries and businesses which should include key measures like water utilization per
unit produce, effluent discharge details, rain water harvested, water reuse details, fresh water consumption
and so on.
(c) & (d) Many industries are reported to be not reutilizing the drained out dirty water and the used
water by recycling the same at present. The National Water Policy (2012) stipulates that ‘recycle and reuse
of water, including return flows, should be the general norm’ and that ‘recycle and reuse of water, after
treatment to specified standards, should also be incentivized through a properly planned tariff system’.