Water

As India heads towards an ever deepening water crisis, we seek to create efficient solutions for managing water resources. These include various initiatives to promote water conservation on the one hand, and on the other, to improve water use efficiency in industrial, domestic and agriculture sectors. To achieve our goal of ensuring long term sustainability of water resources, we focus keenly on policy interventions as well as developing the knowledge and capabilities of all our stakeholders.

water

NEW IN WATER

  • water smart

     

    Report

    Sustainable Groundwater Management in Lucknow City

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  • water security

     

    Policy Brief

    TERI Advanced Oxidation Technology (TADOX) to treat textile and dyeing wastewater, achieve zero liquid discharge, and enhance water reuse: R&D-based policy recommendations

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  • sustainable irrigation

    Article

    Hiccups in the Himalayas: Reading the Warning Signs in Uttarakhand

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  • sustainable irrigation

    Report

    Water Sustainability Assessment of Chennai

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    water video rajasthan

    Press Release

    Mahindra-TERI Centre of Excellence launches Chennai Water Sustainability Assessment Report

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Projects

Off the grid sensor-controlled

Implementation of the project on 'Off the grid sensor-controlled irrigation using bank filtration technology'

OTBL

OTBL Campus Impact Challenge: A Youth Initiative for Creating Positive Spaces

Watershed Development

Implementation of Watershed Development

lakes of hyderabad

Assessing impact of developmental activities on the lakes of Hyderabad

benchmarking industrial water use

Benchmarking water use for efficient deployment in industries

water audit at rail coach

Auditing water for the Rail Coach Factory in Kapurthala in Punjab

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Articles

Melting Glaciers: Global Signals, Indian Realities

Dr Syamal Kumar Sarkar

The world’s biggest iceberg — the “Megaberg” known as A23a — has started disintegrating in the waters of the Southern Ocean, after drifting for nearly 40 years since breaking off from Antarctica. Such events are signals of the accelerating cryosphere crisis.

Atmospheric Water Generation – A Sustainable Solution for Bihar’s Water Challenges

Dr Syamal Kumar Sarkar

Atmospheric Water Generators are systems that extract water from moisture present in the air. They work on the principle of condensation — cooling humid air to collect water droplets — which are then filtered, mineralized, and made fit for human consumption.

Drinking Water Security in Gujarat: The Current Scenario

Mr Amitava Bhattacharyya

Mainstreaming Climate-Resilient Water and Sanitation Infrastructure For Long Lasting Impacts

Ms Manisha Jain

In this article, Manisha Jain and Dr Kriti Akansha highlight that it is necessary to support long-term thinking, transformation, flexibility and innovation while taking the associated climate risks into consideration to attain climate resilience. There is a need for a robust framework that ensures climate policies are integrated into all sectors and that planning, implementation, and evaluation are strictly followed.

Microplastics in the Ganga River - How Dangerous is the Situation?

Microplastics in the Ganga River - How Dangerous is the Situation?

Microplastics are recognized as a main source of marine pollution.

Water Crisis in India: The World’s Largest Groundwater User

In this article, Anita Khuller says that with increasing news of areas facing water shortages and drought, saving water and using it more efficiently has become the need of the hour. Globally, providing clean drinking water is becoming a bigger challenge with population growth.

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Events

ICCT and TERI’s NCoEGPS sign MoU at ICTS 2025 to advance Green Ports & Shipping in India

August 25, 2025
to August 25, 2025

Training on Climate Resilient Integrated Watershed Management

April 12, 2025
to April 12, 2025

TERI is organizing a training program on Climate Resilient Integrated Watershed Management on 12th April 2025 at Silver Oak, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi, India

Background

Over 80% of India’s population lives in districts vulnerable to climate-induced disasters. Rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, depleting groundwater, retreating glaciers, severe cyclones, and rising sea levels threaten livelihoods, food security, and the economy. Urban areas, particularly those with unplanned development, face increasing risks from extreme heat, flooding, and disease.

Water Sustainability Awards 2024-25

March 21, 2025
to March 21, 2025

WSDS 2025 Thematic Track-Watershed Management for Agricultural Resilience: Challenges, Solutions, and Sustainable Development

March 5, 2025
to March 5, 2025

Rural communities throughout India face various challenges related to climate change and its variability, coupled with declining farm productivity and livelihood due to depleting and degrading natural resources. Dryland agriculture in India is particularly vulnerable to climate change, given the dependence of its dense population on agriculture, excessive pressure on natural resources, and limited coping capacities. The anticipated impacts of climate change are likely to further strain already scarce land, water resources, and livelihoods.

WSDS 2025 Thematic Track- Science and Policy Action on Reducing Plastic and Chemical Waste in the Marine Environment

March 5, 2025
to March 5, 2025

7th G-STIC CONFERENCE IN INDIA

October 22, 2024
to October 23, 2024

HARMONISING TECHNOLOGY, POLICY AND BUSINESS PATHWAYS FOR SUSTAINABLE FUTURE AND COEXISTENCE

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News

Surfactants behind Yamuna froth: TERI study

December 22, 2025 |
December 22, 2025
Hindustan Times

A study by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) revealed that froth in the Yamuna results from human and natural surfactants, worsened by poor sewage treatment and sudden barrage openings.

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Reject water from RO could meet needs of 40L: Experts

December 16, 2025 |
December 16, 2025
The Times of India

A 2021 study by TERI and Delhi University found that nearly half of the city's 5.5 lakh households use RO water purifiers. About 6 MLD of drinking water is produced daily using RO machines. Since, for every one litre of RO water, nearly three litres are wasted. As a result, around 12 MLD of water is wasted every day. RS Sinha said since one person drinks about 2.9 to 3.5 litres of water, this wasted water alone could meet the daily drinking water needs of 33–40 lakh people.

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Governing Water

December 7, 2025
| Dr Syamal Kumar Sarkar
| The Statesman

There is no institutional mechanism that facilitates closely coordinated actions between the states and the Centre. Many times, there are varying and sometimes conflicting perspectives, understanding and positions on important water issues between states and the Centre, or across various states, writes Dr Syamal Kumar Sarkar, Senior Advisor, Water Resources Division, TERI.

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Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa reviews TERI study on microplastics and frothing in Yamuna River

December 2, 2025 |
December 4, 2025
ANI

The Environment Department convened a high-level meeting under the leadership of Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. The meeting was chaired by Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa to review The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) comprehensive study on microplastics and frothing in the Yamuna river, according to an official release.

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Sirsa reviews TERI study, directs action on Yamuna pollution

December 3, 2025 |
December 3, 2025
Tribune

Delhi Environment Minister Mr Manjinder Singh Sirsa reviewed a comprehensive study by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) on microplastics, frothing and chemical pollution in the Yamuna. He directed departments concerned to adopt time-bound strategy to revive the river.

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TERI flags high surfactant levels, ammonia and microplastics in the Yamuna

December 3, 2025 |
December 3, 2025
Indian Express

As surfactants from detergents continue to enter the Yamuna unchecked in the absence of regulatory limits, a new study by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) has identified multiple hotspots along the Delhi stretch of the river where untreated sewage, industrial effluents and solid waste are contributing to frothing, chemical contamination and a rising microplastic load.

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Policy

Climate Resilience in Water Resource Management in India: A Conceptual Framework for Action

September 18, 2024

The water sector in India is facing increasing variability and unpredictability of water resources due to climate change. This is compounded by inadequate infrastructure for water storage and distribution, and the insufficient integration of climate resilience into water management policies. This is highlighted by the IPCC's Sixth Assessment Report. Key threats include extreme weather events, rising temperatures, erratic monsoons, and sea level rise, impacting agriculture, industry, ecosystems, and overall water security.

Integration of TADOX® technology to achieve net zero in textile wastewater treatment: Policy recommendations based on pilot study in a CETP

February 8, 2024

Textile & Coloration Industry faces the most challenging issue of removal of colour and dissolved organics due to the presence of complex dyes and pigments in the effluent, which are not being able to be removed by conventional and biological treatment technologies. Which in turn impacts the biological treatment making is shock prone and leading to inadequate treatment with discharge of coloured effluent through drains in the rivers.

Benchmarking Industrial Water Use Efficiency in India: Opportunities for Water-Intensive Industries

February 8, 2024

The rapid expansion of population and industrial activities in India has led to acknowledging the critical importance of water conservation. Addressing the escalating water usage within water-intensive industries is essential, given their significant contribution to the economy alongside their substantial impact on water resources. Amongst the water-intensive industries, thermal power plants are the highest consumer of water, followed by pulp & paper, textiles, and iron & steel industries.

‘Air to Water’ technology - offering potential to achieve Water for All

March 28, 2023

Emerging Role of Blue Finance in the Asia-Pacific Region

October 29, 2021

The policy brief critically examines pathways in which the funding gap for implementing SDG 14 targets can be bridged, using tools such as well-defined regulatory framework and collective partnership.

Food and Land Resources: Incorporating Watershed-Based Approaches for Better Sustainability-Productivity Balance

August 4, 2021

The overall purpose of watershed programmes is to enhance incomes, provide food security through sustainable agriculture and prudent management of natural resources. This directly corresponds to SDG 1 and 2, i.e. No poverty and Zero Hunger respectively.

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Services

Multidisciplinary research on natural resource conservation

We conduct water audits and quality testing that typically include: Estimation of building water use; recommendations of water saving fixtures; estimation of landscape water demand based on input on the soft areas, plant species factors, and the climatic factors; estimation of rainwater harvesting potential and recommendations on the reuse and recycling of treated waste water and rainwater, and appropriate waste-water management schemes and systems.

Team

Mr Anshuman

Director, Water Resources