Water is a renewable resource but the fact that only a small percentage of it is usable for our needs makes it essential that we manage and consume it thoughtfully. Almost all manufacturing companies reported water management programs in their operations. Service companies such as banks and NBFCs still do not perceive the need to manage water consumed in their functions as they believe they are not heavy consumers.

Companies undertake various initiatives to effectively manage water used in their operations. The most deployed measures are water recycling/reuse and effluent water treatment. Recycled or treated water is used either in process or for ancillary purposes such as dust suppression, green belt development, washrooms, etc. These initiatives not only help reduce fresh water consumption, but also reduce wastewater from getting released in the environment - 42% companies reported that their facilities (some or all) have attained zero wastewater discharge.

Responsible product/service offering

Water responsibility is being built in new products/services by few companies – both during production and use. For instance, ACC, Dalmia Bharat and Tata Chemicals have introduced new varieties of cement that have water repellent and fast strength gaining qualities thereby lowering water required for curing post construction. ACC’s permacrete is a pervious concrete which allows easy percolation of water through it into the soil below, hence recharging ground water and avoiding wastage through storm water runoffs. Exide industries developed an advanced Valve-Regulated Lead-Acid technology for Telecom that reduces water loss/ does not require water top-up by the consumer. Welspun India introduced reversible bed sheets which can be used longer before every wash. Grasim’s dope-dyed product saves up to 90% water consumption in consumer processes compared to fabric dyeing process. UPL’s Zeba technology recorded water savings of 11-20% per tonne of potato grown for PepsiCo. And the SBI Green Fund will be utilized for undertaking various activities including water conservation efforts.

Supply chain

Responsible use of water amongst the supply chain partners is still at a nascent stage for most companies studied. The most widely disclosed extension of responsibility is a written policy or a Supplier Code of Conduct. Some companies have effective and efficient water management as a criterion for on-boarding new suppliers. These seem to be only a policy level intervention as the disclosure on its implementation was minimal. JSW Steel aims to promote waste water prevention, effective treatment and responsible disposal across all its suppliers and business partners.

Some companies conduct training on various environment parameters, including water, to build their supply chain capability. Automakers such as Maruti Suzuki, TKM and Tata Motors encourage their suppliers to set up effluent treatment facility, implement rainwater harvesting and train them on dry wash system. Cement companies (ACC and Ambuja Cements) conduct training for their vendors on sustainability aspects such as rainwater harvesting. Consumer staples and textile companies undertake sustainable farming programs including drip irrigation, rainwater harvesting, wide row planting etc. for their farmers.

• Nestle India: We are raising awareness and providing technical support to coffee farmers on water conservation in irrigation, soil management, waste water treatment and recycling, and water use optimisation. We have also undertaken capacity building on integrated farming techniques

While trainings may be one-off, need-based and in-frequent, some companies like Tata Chemicals and Hero MotoCorp have formal vendor development programs around water called Mission Jal and Green Vendor Development, respectively.

• Cisco Systems: We conducted a survey to identify the water consumption levels of different commodity types within our supply chain. Leveraging World Resources Institute’s; Aqueduct tools and the data we collected from suppliers, we were able to identify high water consumption supplier sites operating in water-stressed areas. As a result, we have prioritized suppliers to engage in capability-building in partnership with the Alliance for Water Stewardship.
• ABFRL plans to achieve water-neutrality across the supply chain by 2025

Community

Companies contribute to various water related projects for communities - drinking water, integrated water management, rainwater harvesting, restoring existing water structures (river/pond/lake rejuvenation), check dam construction, etc. 22% companies contributed to rainwater harvesting projects and 49% have drinking water related programs for communities.

• Adani Power’s initiatives resulted in deepening of 350 ponds and building of 20 check dams, thereby increasing the water storage capacity to 78,17,468 CUM.
• NTPC: Installation of 62 water-harvesting units in 13 villages near NTPC Sipat. Installation of more than 500 hand pumps, 70 tube wells/bore wells, 30 RO plants/Water ATMs and supply of water through water tankers to inhabitants at various locations near NTPC operations.
• L&T Infotech: 60 students were trained in the water-testing technology, and their assessment benefited over 350 people in Kendur. The school has now become a water-testing center for the local community, which is much more aware of the issues surrounding water potability.
• Siemens: In partnership with Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran and IIT Bombay, we started the work at Ozar-Sakora in 2019 with the electrification and automation of the existing piped water supply system. The project will ensure equitable distribution of water to all the end beneficiary by detecting 90% of the leakages as well as reducing on the Operation & Maintenance cost of the system and simplify the administration of the scheme.

Water management programs (breadth of Initiatives)