A surge in urban population in India is going to lead to a rise in demand for municipal water and wastewater treatment systems including desalination, supplementing revenues by 57 per cent over five years, reports market analyst Frost and Sullivan (F&S). It is speculated that more than 20 cities will grow largely by 2032, leading to a major strain on water resources. Major coastal cities including Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata, Surat and Vizag are potentially great recipients of desalination plants to cater to the demand for water.

The Indian municipal water and wastewater treatment market garnered revenues of Rs. 31,260 million (USD 494 million) in 2013 and going by F&S prediction, this is going to rise by 57 per cent to Rs. 49,000 million (USD 775 million) by 2018, driven by the burgeoning population and resultant urbanisation. The study by F&S covers areas of desalination, filtration, clarification, disinfection and membrane systems, pre-treatment, primary, secondary and tertiary treatment, and activated sludge treatment.

Observations made in the report talk about an expected increase in the promotion of membrane technologies, with customer price sensitivity being on the rise as municipal projects are usually awarded to the lowest bidder. Additionally, the current trend is that of ‘very limited’ penetration of recycle and reuse systems and government policies, including the National Water Mission, which endorse the growth of the water and wastewater treatment market.

Further analysis by F&S has revealed that of the 32 major cities in India, 22 are facing water crisis. Even in cities with comparatively narrower demand-supply gap, shortages are registered due to significant water loss during transmission.