Telangana mandates treated wastewater for public offices and data centres to save drinking water

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has ordered officials to make the use of treated wastewater mandatory for all non-drinking needs in government offices, public parks, and public spaces. During a review meeting held at the MCR HRD Institute in Hyderabad on Wednesday, the Chief Minister directed that treated water must be used for landscaping along the Outer Ring Road, at the Secretariat, and at the Chief Minister's Office. He also asked that the Railways, Hyderabad Metro Rail, and local data centres be supplied with treated water to reduce the pressure on fresh drinking water supplies. Officials must ensure these new measures take effect from November 1. To manage the initiative, the government plans to use artificial intelligence technology at sewage treatment plants and appoint a special officer at every plant. All plants will link to the Command Control Centre for oversight by the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Protection Agency. Authorities will also track water tankers, set up a toll-free number for supply requests, and check if treatment plants can run on solar power. Officials reported that 26 sewage treatment plants currently supply treated water using green tankers at no charge for the water itself, though transport costs apply. Chief Secretary Sanjay Jaju and several other senior officials attended the meeting.

Context

Cities across India face rising pressure on drinking water sources due to growing urban populations and falling groundwater levels. Reusing treated wastewater for non-potable tasks like landscaping, cleaning, and industrial cooling helps conserve fresh water supplies for household consumption.