As Haryana grapples with declining groundwater reserves and repeated drinking water shortages, a Right to Information (RTI) query has revealed that the state’s major thermal power plants are still relying on freshwater instead of treated sewage water, contrary to policy requirements.
According to a report by The Times of India, Haryana is already facing an annual water deficit of nearly 14 billion cubic metres, where large-scale industrial consumption further strains limited resources.
According to the RTI responses, the mandated transition to treated wastewater across key thermal power facilities has either not been implemented or is not being adequately documented. The Centre’s tariff policy for 2016 requires thermal plants located within a 50-km
radius of sewage treatment plants (STPs) to use treated wastewater for non-potable purposes. Haryana reinforced this directive through its 2019 wastewater reuse policy, encouraging industries to reduce dependence on freshwater wherever possible.
The RTI application, filed on February 19 by New Delhi-based activist Varun Gulati, sought detailed, plant-wise information from the Haryana Power Generation Corporation Ltd (HPGCL) on the use of treated sewage water, infrastructure readiness, and related agreements, reported TOI. However, the replies largely stated “no data available” or “NIL”.
At the Panipat thermal power station, divisions CMDP-I, CMDP-II and CMD(C) reported that information on sewage water usage “may be considered NIL”. Similarly, no records of treated wastewater usage were provided for the Rajiv Gandhi thermal plant in Hisar. The planning division of the Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram thermal power plant in Yamunanagar also marked its response as “NIL”.
A consolidated response issued by HPGCL on March 24 reportedly compiled inputs from six offices into a 14-page document. Yet, even this combined report failed to provide data on wastewater reuse, with several operational and planning divisions indicating no available records.
What the RTI responses did reveal, however, was the scale of freshwater consumption. The Panipat plant uses approximately 90-100 million litres daily, Yamunanagar consumes around 70-80 million litres per day, Hisar about 40-50 million litres, and the Jhajjar plant roughly 100-120 million litres daily. Collectively, these plants draw several hundred million litres of freshwater every day, without any documented shift to treated sewage water.
This is significant in a state already struggling to balance water demand. While agriculture remains the largest consumer, thermal power plants require substantial volumes for cooling and ash handling, uses that fall under non-potable categories and were specifically targeted for substitution with treated wastewater under policy frameworks.
An official from the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) told TOI that thermal plants are required to minimise freshwater consumption and utilise treated sewage water wherever STPs are accessible. These conditions, the official noted, are part of environmental safeguards designed to ease pressure on groundwater and surface water resources.
Gulati described the findings as indicative of a major accountability lapse. “Either Haryana’s thermal power plants are flouting a binding national mandate, or the utility has no mechanism to track water use. Both are unacceptable in a water-stressed state,” TOI quoted him as saying.
The HSPCB official also highlighted that workable models already exist elsewhere. In Maharashtra, for instance, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation and MAHAGENCO have long supplied 150 MLD of tertiary-treated sewage water from the Bhandewadi STP to the Koradi and Khaperkheda thermal power plants under long-term agreements.
Fawzia Tarannum, co-founder and strategic lead at GuruJal, said the complete absence of treated wastewater usage in Haryana points to systemic shortcomings. She identified weak conveyance infrastructure, pricing challenges, poor institutional coordination, and concerns over water quality consistency as key barriers to adoption. “But in a water-stressed state, continued dependence on freshwater is a strategic risk to both energy and water security,” she reportedly warned.
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