Upendra Prasad Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, has said that wastewater management is critical for survival of the textile industry in India and not a subject of charity. It is the responsibility of all stakeholders including the Government, textile bodies and industries to invest in green technologies that conserve water.
He was addressing a national multi-stakeholder consultation organised by The ReFashion Hub and Centre for Responsible Business (CRB) to encourage wastewater reuse and water conservation in the textile industry.
Alliance For Water Stewardship and Water Management Forum (under Institute of Engineers India) supported the event.
The Secretary insisted that water footprint is not widely understood like carbon footprint. There is a need to raise awareness and educate people to create change.
He further added, “There is enough knowledge on the supply side of water and wastewater management but not on the demand side. Efficient water and wastewater management can help suppliers/buyers engage brands/consumers.” Further, he suggested ‘condition assessment of clusters’ to generate baseline about need for water and wastewater management in textile and other high water-use clusters.
Rijit Sengupta, CEO, CRB; Narendra Singh, President, Institution of Engineers of India and many other experts from various fields also addressed the event.
