Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has directed officials to use treated wastewater for all non-drinking purposes in government offices and public spaces, The Hindu reported. He also called for strict monitoring of sewage treatment plants (STPs) to keep up water quality and stop drinking water being wasted.
He gave the directions at a review meeting on STPs and treated water at the MCR HRD Institute in Hyderabad on Wednesday.
What was ordered
- **Government offices and public spaces:** orders will make treated water compulsory for non-potable use. It will be used for landscaping along the Outer Ring Road, at the Secretariat and the Chief Minister's Office, in public parks and for cleaning roads. The Railways and Hyderabad Metro Rail are to be brought in too.
- **Data centres:** officials are to supply them with treated water, keeping future demand in mind.
- **New buildings:** conditions on using treated water will be added when building permissions are granted.
- **Treatment plants:** each STP will get a special officer and AI-based monitoring, and all will be linked to the Command Control Centre and watched by HYDRAA. Private STPs will be encouraged, and solar-powered plants studied.
- **Supply:** treated-water tankers will be tracked, a toll-free number set up for supply, and a publicity campaign run.
Why it matters
Mr. Reddy warned last week that El Niño could leave Telangana short of drinking water and power until July 2027, The Hindu reported. He said the State's reservoirs held less than 200 tmc ft of water and that 15 lakh of its 30 lakh pump sets had gone dry.
Using treated wastewater for gardens, roads and cooling frees up fresh water for drinking. At the meeting, he said water quality must not be compromised and that the government must make sure Hyderabad does not run short of drinking water.