India’s fisheries sector, a crucial component of the country’s economy and food security, is facing severe financial losses due to water pollution. A recent study has revealed that India loses $2.2 billion annually—5.4% of its total fisheries value—due to untreated wastewater contaminating waterways.
Study Highlights the Economic and Environmental Toll
The study, launched at the World Ocean Summit in Japan by ocean health initiative Back to Blue and the Ocean Sewage Alliance, assessed the economic impact of wastewater mismanagement in five countries: India, Brazil, Kenya, the Philippines, and the United Kingdom. Among these nations, India’s fisheries sector was found to be the most affected.
Untreated wastewater containing pollutants and heavy metals enters rivers, seas, and drinking water sources, posing a severe risk to marine life, food safety, and public health. The contamination threatens both domestic food security and the country’s seafood exports, as India is a leading global supplier of seafood.
Health and Agricultural Impacts
The consequences of poor wastewater management extend beyond the fisheries sector. India also faces an annual economic loss of $246 million due to diarrheal diseases linked to contaminated drinking water. Among the studied countries, India incurs the highest healthcare costs for waterborne illnesses, affecting millions of people.
Additionally, wastewater mismanagement impacts agriculture. Though India experiences lower proportional losses due to soil salinity compared to countries like Brazil, its absolute revenue loss from polluted irrigation water is estimated at $1.2 billion annually. Around 10% of agricultural land in developing countries is irrigated with untreated or partially treated wastewater, which often contains toxic heavy metals such as zinc, chromium, manganese, and iron. While wastewater nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus can initially boost crop yields, long-term use leads to soil degradation and reduced productivity.
Call for Urgent Wastewater Management Reforms
Experts emphasize the urgent need for better wastewater treatment infrastructure in India. With a treatment rate of just 21%, a vast amount of wastewater remains untreated, exacerbating environmental and economic losses. Amelia Wenger, Conservation Scientist and Water Pollution Programme Lead at the Wildlife Conservation Society, stressed that investing in sewage and wastewater treatment is the only viable solution to mitigate these damages.
Nitin Bassi, senior programme lead for sustainable water at the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), highlighted the need for expanding treatment capacity. “Improving both water quality and the usable quantity of water is crucial. If more wastewater can be captured, treated, and reused, it will ease pressure on our freshwater resources,” he said.
Sustainable Solutions and Policy Recommendations
To combat this crisis, policymakers and industry leaders must prioritize:
- Expanding large-scale sewage and wastewater treatment facilities.
- Investing in decentralized wastewater management systems where infrastructure is lacking.
- Promoting circular economy approaches to wastewater, such as converting it into organic fertilizers, biogas, or renewable energy sources.
India’s water pollution crisis is not just an environmental issue—it is an economic and public health emergency. Addressing wastewater management with innovative solutions and infrastructure investments can secure the future of the fisheries sector, agriculture, and overall water security in the country.
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