The Confederation of Indian Industry’s Indian Green Building Council (CII-IGBC) has launched a report exploring nature-based wastewater treatment solutions in Tamil Nadu, highlighting their potential to complement conventional infrastructure, support water reuse and strengthen environmental sustainability.
Titled Nature-Based Solutions for Treating Wastewater in Tamil Nadu, the report was launched at a conference in Chennai that brought together government representatives, industry experts, researchers and sustainability practitioners to discuss decentralized wastewater treatment for urban and community settings.
Focus on wastewater management and river restoration
The report highlights the connection between wastewater management, river restoration and urban waterbody conservation. It also points to gaps in sewage collection and treatment across urban and rural local bodies, underlining the need for solutions adapted to local conditions.
Nature-based treatment systems could offer an option for decentralised wastewater management in suitable settings. However, larger urban areas may require approaches capable of handling higher and fluctuating wastewater volumes. Selecting appropriate systems will depend on local requirements, treatment capacity and implementation conditions.
The conference also highlighted the role of nature-based approaches in climate-responsive infrastructure and ecosystem restoration. Such systems are reportedly already being implemented in schools across Greater Chennai, with scope for wider adoption through collaboration between government, industry and technical institutions.
Guidebook aims to support sustainable water reuse
According to information shared at the conference, Tamil Nadu has 1,520 IGBC-registered projects covering approximately 1.02 billion square feet. Against the backdrop of urbanization and rising water demand, sustainable wastewater management is becoming an important consideration for resilient cities.
The report and accompanying guidebook aim to provide urban local bodies, engineers and planners with practical guidance on adopting nature-based wastewater treatment systems and enabling safe water reuse.
For successful implementation, treatment options need to account for local conditions, including wastewater volumes, land availability, operating requirements and the intended use of treated water.
Industry experts discuss scaling treatment solutions
A panel discussion at the conference examined the opportunities and challenges involved in expanding nature-based wastewater treatment across urban and community settings. Participants from organizations working in wastewater technology, urban development, scientific research and community initiatives discussed ways to move from innovative approaches to wider implementation.
Technical presentations by CII-IGBC and representatives from wastewater treatment organisations also covered nature-based treatment methods and decentralised systems for sustainable communities.
The event concluded with discussions on locally adaptable treatment models, resource efficiency and collaboration among government, industry and technical institutions.
The initiative seeks to encourage the adoption of nature-based wastewater solutions and advance sustainable water management in Tamil Nadu. The effectiveness of these approaches will depend on their suitability for local conditions, implementation and long-term maintenance.
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