Experts call for stronger collaboration among academia, industry, and citizens for sustainable water management

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(From left) Ravikumar, Professor and Director, Centre for Water Resources, Anna University; P. Kannan, Director Operations, CPCL; Gaurav Kumar, Executive Director, CMWSSB; Navin Kumar, Managing Director, Navin’s, successful  speech  with K. Lakshmi, Deputy Editor, The Hindu

(From left) Ravikumar, Professor and Director, Centre for Water Resources, Anna University; P. Kannan, Director Operations, CPCL; Gaurav Kumar, Executive Director, CMWSSB; Navin Kumar, Managing Director, Navin’s, successful speech with K. Lakshmi, Deputy Editor, The Hindu | Photo Credit: R. Ragu

With Chennai’s increasing request for h2o and rising accent connected section sources, experts astatine a sheet treatment connected ‘Water for Tomorrow - Sustainable Management and Industrial Responsibility’ astatine The Hindu and CPCL’s Sustainability Summit 2025 highlighted the request to recycle and reuse each driblet done precocious attraction technologies and amended integration betwixt policy, industry, and research.

G. Ravikumar, Professor and Director of the Centre for Water Resources astatine Anna University, said that portion civilian engineers presently grip astir of the water-related enactment successful departments specified arsenic the CMWSSB, WRD, and TWAD Board, they often deficiency a heavy knowing of hydrological systems. “Most civilian engineering graduates survey precise small astir h2o resources oregon biology management,” helium said, and projected launching a dedicated undergraduate programme successful Water Resources Engineering to physique aboriginal expertise.

Speaking from the industry’s perspective, P. Kannan, Director (Operations) astatine Chennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd (CPCL), said that industries are progressively adopting technologies to trim freshwater usage and execute zero liquid discharge.

“Nearly fractional of the h2o utilized successful refineries goes into cooling and procreation processes. We dainty and reuse astir of this h2o wrong the works itself, cutting down connected caller h2o consumption,” helium said. He added that person collaboration betwixt industry, government, and probe institutions was needed to make indigenous h2o attraction technologies.

Gaurav Kumar, Executive Director of the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB), explained that the metropolis is advancing circular h2o usage done its Tertiary Treatment Reverse Osmosis (TTRO) and Tertiary Treatment Ultra-Filtration (TTUF) plants. “Through these facilities, utilized and achromatic h2o are thoroughly treated and reused oregon released into lakes for recharge,” helium said. He added that the committee plans to invitation schoolhouse and assemblage students to sojourn these plants to physique consciousness and promote h2o conservation from a young age.

Navin Kumar, Managing Director of Navin’s, said that the existent property assemblage has steadily adopted water-efficient technologies, including greywater recycling, rainwater harvesting, and low-flow fixtures. “In commercialized buildings, recycled h2o tin conscionable up to 60% oregon 70% of requirements,” helium said. He besides urged the authorities to connection incentives specified arsenic impermanent taxation rebates for developers who conception certified greenish buildings, to promote much sustainable practices successful the residential sector.

Need for sustained awareness

Mr. Navin added that creating nationalist consciousness connected h2o conservation cannot beryllium a one-time workout and that semipermanent consciousness campaigns and stronger national information are cardinal to gathering a circular h2o economy.

The league was moderated by K. Lakshmi, Deputy Editor, Reporting, The Hindu.

The Hindu Sustainability Summit 2025 is presented by Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL) and co-presented by Tamil Nadu Green Climate Company (TNGCC). The Sustainability Partner is Navin’s and the Associate Partner is NLC India Limited. The Green Partner for the lawsuit is Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and Television Partner Puthiya Thalaimurai. While the Industry Partner is Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the Knowledge Partner is Sustainable Energy and Environment Council (SEEC). The Digital News Partner for the lawsuit is The Federal.

Published - November 07, 2025 04:17 p.m. IST

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