Indian Politics & Policy Volume 1, Number 2, Fall 2018 | Page 94

Parameters of Successful Wastewater Reuse in Urban India Kelly D. Alley Auburn University, [email protected] (corresponding author) 1 Nutan Maurya South Asian University, [email protected] Sukanya Das Indian Politics & Policy • Vol. 1, No. 2 • Fall 2018 TERI University, [email protected] Research for this article was supported by the National Science Foundation, Cultural Anthropology Program, Award #1628014. The authors thank the reviewers for their helpful feedback. Abstract Studies of surface and groundwater in India show that dry season water availability will continue to decline over the next half-century, a challenge that will face many areas and countries around the globe. The need to develop wastewater recycling schemes is critical to improving conditions of water supply and ensuring the survival of agriculture and human consumption, as well as industrial production. The need for wastewater recycling is pushing communities, governments, and businesses to discuss, experiment with, and pilot projects using decentralized methods. This paper introduces four cases of wastewater recycling that are considered “success” stories and identifies the key parameters that enable these systems to function. The parameters pertain to human dimensions involving historical, institutional, regulatory, policy, and economic conditions and innovations. We then use these labels as heuristics for models of success in Indian conditions. Keywords: wastewater, water reuse, recycling, closed loop, hydrosocial cycle, National Green Tribunal, flexibat, India 91 doi: 10.18278/inpp.1.2.4