Environmental Safeguard
Basic infrastructure projects like water supply, sewerage and sanitation shall undoubtedly contribute to the improvement of environmental quality as well as health and economic well being of the people. Benefits arising from improved water supply system aiming at adequate, safe and potable water for the inhabitants include:
- reduced risk of water-borne diseases,
- reduced time in collecting water,
- improved economic condition from better health conditions, improvement in economic man-days, and avoiding cost of alternative water supply
However, infrastructure facilities that are not well conceived/planned/constructed or operated, and which are also not socially acceptable or environmentally benign may lead to potential adverse impacts which may have far more implications than the benefits. Therefore it is important these are identified well at the master plan stage and are suitably integrated into all the stages from concept to construction and operation so that the positive benefits are increase manifold.
The following impacts/issues needs to be considered while planning/designing of water supply projects:
- Quality of raw water from selected source and potential pollution risks
- Water sharing conflicts
- Impacts due to water impounding structures like dams
- Unsustainable groundwater sources and over exploitation
- Encroachments into sensitive land uses.
- Land acquisition and resettlement
- Increase in energy loads
- Risk from chemical use and handling
- Contamination of water supplies during construction phase
- Contamination of treated water supplies due to leakages
- Sludge disposal from WTPs
- Disposal of waste water from sedimentation tank and back wash