Agriculture in India continues to rely heavily on consistent irrigation, yet its sustainability is increasingly threatened by chronic water shortages. Irrigation and agriculture together consume the largest share of the country’s water resources (around 73 per cent), followed by industrial (8 per cent) and domestic (7 per cent) use. Factors such as erratic rainfall, declining groundwater levels and overextraction of surface water have undermined the resilience of irrigated farming systems. In many regions, these pressures have increased irrigation costs, shortened supply cycles and reduced crop yields, making freshwater-based irrigation increasingly unsustainable. Urban and industrial
users often get priority during water shortages. This increases pressure on agriculture, which remains the largest water user but is highly vulnerable to supply disruptions.
In this context, the reuse of treated wastewater is emerging as a viable and strategic alternative for irrigation. Unlike rainfall and freshwater sources, wastewater generation is relatively consistent and closely linked to urban water use, making it a predictable and dependable supply for agricultural irrigation. When treated to appropriate standards, wastewater can support irrigation needs while reducing pressure on groundwater and surface water systems. Moreover, treated wastewater provides agronomic co-benefits by supplying residual nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, reducing fertiliser requirements and input costs when used safely. Integrating treated wastewater into irrigation systems transforms a potential environmental liability into a productive resource, supporting crop yields while lowering pollution loads in rivers and other waterbodies. As freshwater scarcity intensifies, mainstreaming treated wastewater for irrigation, supported by strong government programmes, state-level initiatives, research and development (R&D), and other enabling measures, has the potential to fundamentally reshape India’s agricultural water landscape.
Rising policy impetus
Increasing water scarcity and rising competition for fresh water have intensified pressure on India’s irrigation sector, particularly in peri-urban and water-stressed regions. In response, India’s policy approach to wastewater reuse has gradually shifted from isolated treatment initiatives to a more structured, multilevel framework that recognises treated wastewater as a viable and necessary source for irrigation.
At the national level, the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) 2.0 positions wastewater reuse as a core element of urban water security, with direct implications for agricultural water supply. Under AMRUT 2.0, cities are required to develop city water balance plans that include strategies for reusing treated wastewater, explicitly linking urban wastewater management with downstream irrigation demand and reduced dependence on freshwater sources. Despite the growing momentum of these initiatives, the potential of treated wastewater for irrigation remains underutilised, indicating a significant gap between policy intent and on-ground implementation. Complementary programmes such as Jal hi Amrit further reinforce this shift by incentivising urban local bodies to treat and recycle wastewater for non-potable uses, including irrigation. By adopting a performance-based incentive structure, these initiatives encourage municipalities to redirect treated effluent towards farming and other high-demand sectors, thereby alleviating pressure on over-extracted surfacewater and groundwater resources.
At the river basin scale, the National Mission for Clean Ganga advances similar objectives by encouraging cities along the Ganga river to supply treated sewage to farmers and industries. By linking wastewater reuse with pollution control and agricultural water supply, the mission embeds wastewater reuse for irrigation within broader river basin management efforts. Collectively, these policy interventions signal a decisive move towards mainstreaming treated wastewater reuse in irrigation as a response to water scarcity, enhancing
resilience in irrigation practices.
Robust state-level interventions
Several Indian states are implementing initiatives to reuse treated wastewater for irrigation and broader water sustainability goals. In Haryana, the Jal Sanrakshit Haryana Project, approved in January 2026 with financial and technical assistance of Rs 57 billion from the World Bank, includes a major treated wastewater reuse component. As part of initiatives worth Rs 6 billion, treated wastewater from key sewage treatment plants in Jind, Kaithal and Gurugram will be used to irrigate approximately 28,000 acres of agricultural land, reducing dependence on fresh water while enhancing water conservation in farming systems. Complementing this, under the Haryana Water Resources Authority’s Integrated Water Resources Action Plan, the state has saved around 5.8 billion cubic metres of water between March 2023 and February 2025. These savings resulted from treated wastewater reuse, efficient farming, crop diversification, micro-irrigation and improved groundwater recharge. Meanwhile, in Karnataka, Bengaluru’s approach to treated wastewater reuse has focused on irrigation and ecological replenishment. The city produces around 2,255 million litres per day (mld) of wastewater, of which roughly 1,349 mld is treated. About 650 mld of this treated wastewater is supplied to the state’s Minor Irrigation Department to replenish over 660 lakes across multiple districts.
In addition to ongoing interventions, several states have been developing targeted policies and action plans to promote the reuse of treated wastewater for irrigation. For example, as of February 2026, the Andhra Pradesh government is set to launch the Water Policy 2026-27 to ensure equitable water allocation for irrigation and other purposes. The policy signals a broader shift towards formalising water planning that could anchor water reuse strategies to address irrigation water scarcity and improve overall water resource management. Parallelly, as of December 2025, the Uttar Pradesh government is formulating a policy to encourage the use of treated water across irrigation and other non-potable domestic applications. The state has set ambitious targets to safely reuse 50 per cent of its wastewater by 2030 and achieve full reuse by 2035, thereby supporting both industrial and agricultural needs. Similarly, the Maharashtra government has approved the Sewage Treatment and Reuse Policy in October 2025, mandating the processing and reuse of sewage and wastewater across 424 urban local bodies. A budget of Rs 5 billion has also been approved for the Urban Development Department to roll out this initiative. The policy encourages the use of treated wastewater for non‑potable
purposes, including irrigation.
While these state-level policies represent a notable step forward, they continue to prioritise sectors other than irrigation, even though agriculture remains the largest consumer of water in the country. The potential of treated wastewater to enhance irrigation water security remains largely untapped, highlighting a missed opportunity to advance circular water reuse. Strengthening and scaling initiatives that integrate wastewater reuse into irrigation is essential to improve the efficiency, resilience and sustainability of India’s agriculture and water management systems.
Innovative R&D and other initiatives
India’s wastewater reuse landscape is increasingly shaped by targeted R&D initiatives and cross-sectoral projects that move beyond conventional treatment-and-discharge models. Recent initiatives highlight a shift towards application-oriented innovation, in which treated wastewater is not only made safe for reuse but also integrated into broader systems of agricultural production and water
resource management.
A notable example of research-led innovation is the national patent secured in December 2025 by the Ladakh Regional Centre of the Govind Ballabh Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment. The patented hydroponic farming system utilises treated wastewater from faecal sludge treatment plants to replace freshwater inputs in crop cultivation. Designed for fragile mountain ecosystems such as Ladakh, the system responds directly to extreme water scarcity, sub zero winter temperatures and limited cultivable land. By linking wastewater treatment with controlled-environment agriculture, the innovation embeds wastewater reuse into food production systems. The operational design of the Ladakh initiative brings out the importance of
treatment quality and reuse safety.
Alongside research-driven reuse innovations, complementary infrastructure initiatives are emerging that indirectly strengthen wastewater reuse potential by enhancing system-level water resilience. In January 2026, the Kerala Irrigation Infrastructure Development Corporation initiated a major desilting project at the Aruvikkara Dam in Thiruvananthapuram, targeting the removal of approximately 1.02 million cubic metres of accumulated silt and sediment. Although primarily focused on enhancing drinking water storage, these interventions also have significant implications for irrigation by influencing overall water availability. By restoring storage capacity and improving raw water availability, the Aruvikkara desilting initiative creates greater flexibility for cities to allocate treated wastewater for non-potable uses, including irrigation, landscaping and ecological flows, rather than diverting high quality fresh water for these purposes.
The way ahead
To secure its food and water future, India must make treated wastewater a mainstream source for irrigation. The country is at the cusp of a wastewater-led agricultural revolution, driven by a combination of regulatory momentum, ready markets in agriculture and proven treatment technologies. Scaling reuse requires coordinated action from public agencies, private water technology providers and policymakers to treat, transport and distribute high quality reclaimed water to agricultural fields with precision and accountability. Irrigation water demand in India is projected to rise due to growing food requirements, crop intensification and climate variability, even as efficiency measures partially offset this increase. Currently, only 11 states have formal wastewater reuse policies, highlighting the gap and the necessity for a comprehensive national framework that standardises guidelines, sets water quality benchmarks, and facilitates adoption across agricultural and industrial sectors.
Alongside, technological innovation will play a critical role in this transition. Modern treatment systems have advanced far beyond conventional sewage solutions, enabling fit-for-purpose water customised to crop type, soil conditions and irrigation methods. Advanced biological systems such as the moving bed biofilm reactor, sequencing batch reactor, and integrated fixed-film activated sludge stabilise organic loads. Tertiary polishing using dual-media filtration and activated carbon improves water clarity and removes odours, while membrane bioreactors, ultrafiltration and high-efficiency membranes effectively eliminate pathogens. Complementary innovations, such as smart nutrient retention models, preserve nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium values critical for crop growth, while artificial intelligence-driven monitoring ensures compliance with Central Pollution Control Board irrigation standards and optimises water distribution. Collectively, these technologies make large-scale precision reuse both feasible and sustainable. In the coming decade, success will require infrastructure, capacity building, stakeholder engagement and demonstration projects. Going forward, mainstreaming reclaimed water in agriculture can tackle water scarcity, boost food security, ease freshwater demand and advance circular water management.
