India

Indian municipalities are facing the challenges of acute water shortage, increasing population and rising power tariffs. Presently only about two-thirds of the urban population has direct access to clean, affordable and reliable water services. Lack of reliable water supply affects urban populations in multiple ways, having detrimental health impacts and significant social and economic costs. Energy costs constitute up to 60-70 percent of an Indian municipality’s total cost of pumping water to its residents. This financial constraint, coupled with inadequate or antiquated infrastructure and the lack of adequate managerial and technical capacities, greatly limits the ability of municipalities to improve water services. More efficient water delivery systems can translate into measurable energy savings due to reduced pumping requirements. Yet, most municipalities are unaware of the benefits available through water and energy efficiency. These challenges are further compounded by the lack of state level policies to encourage municipalities to implement water and energy efficiency measures to improve service and reduce costs.

The Alliance to Save Energy, in partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development and the U.S. Asia-Environmental Partnership, is designing sustainable Watergy solutions for Indian municipalities to take advantage of opportunities that reduce energy use, water waste and costs, while at the same time improving water services. The India Watergy Program is assisting municipalities in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra. The general approach of the Alliance in India is to enter into partnerships with state-level urban development agencies in all of the states, in parallel with interventions on the municipal level.

For more information on the Alliance Watergy program in India, click here.