The state government is toying with the idea of using the state’s entire coastline for desalination to end the water woes. But, environmentalists and water activists are not too convinced with the planned move.
They have discouraged the move claiming that it could be detrimental to the environment and have said that desalination was the least cost-effective of all available water resource solutions.
An IITian and a renowned water activist - Janak Daftary - said that the technology which discharges brine, a concentrated salt solution generated as a by-product of desalination, back into the sea could pollute the sea and increase its salinity levels. Daftary added that the solution also came with a high cost and the state should instead concentrate its energies towards recycling and reusing of water instead.
The state’s intentions, of using the entire coastline for desalination, were revealed when chief minister Ashok Chavan recently instructed officials to explore the idea of allotting land to private parties for setting up desalination plants on design, build, operate and transfer basis.
Water activist Sitaram Shelar said that recycling of waste water should be encouraged. “It’s more cost effective and will result in bigger savings,” he said.
