12 National Green Tribunal Order on Regulating Use
of RO-Based Drinking Water Systems
29
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on May 28, 2019, instructed the Ministry of
Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Government of India, to
notify prohibiting the use of drinking water through reverse osmosis (RO) systems
in areas where the amount of total dissolved solids (TDS) was less than
500 milligram/litre (mg/l). It also asked the ministry to lay down the requirement
for RO system manufacturers that the recovery of treated water is at least 60% and
not more than 40% should go as waste. According to earlier standards issued by the
Bureau of Industry Standards (BIS) in 2015, the water recovery by ROs had to be
20% only.
The order called for gradually increasing the recovery rate to 75% and for
designing RO system in a way that treated water would have a minimum 150 mg/l
TDS concentration. It also stressed on remineralization to compensate for loss of
minerals during RO treatment. The order was based on petition filed by Sharad
Tiwari, general secretary of a Delhi-based nonprofit, ‘Friends,’ who had pleaded
that indiscriminate use of ROs was leading to huge wastage of water and that there
are areas that do not require RO to be used for filtration.
However, the draft notification issued on by the MoEF&CC on February 3,
2020, does not mention such limits. Instead, it only mentioned that use of
membrane-based water purification system, mainly RO purifiers, shall be prohibited
where drinking water complies with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). It is
important to note that BIS does not have any minimum limit for TDS in treated
water and was asked by the NGT to develop guidelines on the same.
13 Water Pollution Regulation in India
The Indian Constitution includes several laws for pollution regulation. The Water
(Prevention and Control of Pollution Act), 1974, is an enabling statute in preventing
and controlling water pollution. This Act prescribes general and industry-specific
standards for the discharge of wastewater into water bodies and has given powers to
the Water Boards to decide their own standards and regulations as per local needs.
30
This Act led to establishment of Pollution Control Boards at the central and state
levels for monitoring of pollution.
31 The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)
and State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) are the regulatory authorities for monitoring pollution at the central and the state levels, respectively.
29
Shagun Kapil, Centre’s new draft for RO system not what NGT asked for (Feb 2020), and Banjot
Kaur, Ban RO systems if dissolved solids are less than 500 mg/l (May 2019), Down to Earth.
30
Goldar and Banerjee (2004).
31
Puthucherril and Lekshmi (2004).
Tackling Water Quality Issues
91
of RO-Based Drinking Water Systems
29
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on May 28, 2019, instructed the Ministry of
Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Government of India, to
notify prohibiting the use of drinking water through reverse osmosis (RO) systems
in areas where the amount of total dissolved solids (TDS) was less than
500 milligram/litre (mg/l). It also asked the ministry to lay down the requirement
for RO system manufacturers that the recovery of treated water is at least 60% and
not more than 40% should go as waste. According to earlier standards issued by the
Bureau of Industry Standards (BIS) in 2015, the water recovery by ROs had to be
20% only.
The order called for gradually increasing the recovery rate to 75% and for
designing RO system in a way that treated water would have a minimum 150 mg/l
TDS concentration. It also stressed on remineralization to compensate for loss of
minerals during RO treatment. The order was based on petition filed by Sharad
Tiwari, general secretary of a Delhi-based nonprofit, ‘Friends,’ who had pleaded
that indiscriminate use of ROs was leading to huge wastage of water and that there
are areas that do not require RO to be used for filtration.
However, the draft notification issued on by the MoEF&CC on February 3,
2020, does not mention such limits. Instead, it only mentioned that use of
membrane-based water purification system, mainly RO purifiers, shall be prohibited
where drinking water complies with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). It is
important to note that BIS does not have any minimum limit for TDS in treated
water and was asked by the NGT to develop guidelines on the same.
13 Water Pollution Regulation in India
The Indian Constitution includes several laws for pollution regulation. The Water
(Prevention and Control of Pollution Act), 1974, is an enabling statute in preventing
and controlling water pollution. This Act prescribes general and industry-specific
standards for the discharge of wastewater into water bodies and has given powers to
the Water Boards to decide their own standards and regulations as per local needs.
30
This Act led to establishment of Pollution Control Boards at the central and state
levels for monitoring of pollution.
31 The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)
and State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) are the regulatory authorities for monitoring pollution at the central and the state levels, respectively.
29
Shagun Kapil, Centre’s new draft for RO system not what NGT asked for (Feb 2020), and Banjot
Kaur, Ban RO systems if dissolved solids are less than 500 mg/l (May 2019), Down to Earth.
30
Goldar and Banerjee (2004).
31
Puthucherril and Lekshmi (2004).
Tackling Water Quality Issues
91