There is a strong correlation between habitation and water. Notwithstanding the fact that most civilizations took root and prospered along rivers, lakes and other major water sources, high urban real estate prices have in fact pushed cities’ populations further and further away from water sources. Today, many areas within metropolitan regions rely primarily on water tankers even during favourable monsoons.
According to Bureau of Indian Standards, the average water requirement in urban areas is about 100 litres per person. However, changes in urban lifestyles have given rise to a much higher per capita water demand. For example, increase in the dual-car ownership households has resulted in doubled requirement of water for daily washing of cars. Washing machines guzzle up a sizable chunk of potable water, not to mention the watering of gardens, etc.
In such a scenario, the on-going real estate sector slowdown is a boon of sorts, as construction activities are subdued. It has been established that construction activity requires about 1 kilolitre of water per sq. m. under construction. Going by that standard, one lakh sq. ft. of construction will consume more than 9,000 million litres of water – a quantity that can cater to the water requirement of 50 households for an entire year. Though this is, in most cases, not potable water, it is certainly of a quality that is good enough for various other domestic uses.
The water used during construction is arranged from private sources using water tankers which draw surface water, water from shallow wells or ponds during a period of scarcity. When these water sources dry up, water tankers become expensive both for construction sites and domestic consumption. Naturally, the activity of water mafias is in top gear during high scarcity periods, as is evident in many parts of the country.
Though everyone understands the importance of water, there needs to be a clearer understanding of it as a value proposition. There are various ways to achieve self-dependency on water. For example activities like washing, cleaning and gardening do not require fresh potable water and can be managed by treated waste water. For construction purposes, waste water treatment can be done on site to a great extent.
In the country’s arid regions, people have been storing and maximizing rainwater for centuries. With the current level of technology, these same principles can and must be perfected to meet a substantial part of the water demand in urban areas throughout the year.
In the more immediate context, however, intelligent interventions can help postpone a complete breakdown of water resources at a national level.
It goes without saying that real estate developers shoulder a massive share of the responsibility. India needs its builders to wake up to the facts of the situation that they are contributing to, and to apply intelligent interventions for achieving self-sufficiency in the water requirements of their projects without further compounding the nation’s water crisis.
Subhankar Mitra is Local Director of Strategic Consulting at JLL India.