Rejuvenation of Rivers and Lakes in India: Balancing Societal Priorities with Technological Possibilities

In the light of shortage of water in several parts of the World, especially in the developing country like India and in the context of the prevailing policy of accelerating growth through industrialization, there is an eminent need for devising newer approaches of water management. Various innovative successful approaches have been discussed which balanced societal priorities with feasible treatment technologies particularly focusing on natural treatment systems (NTS's). It has been argued that the NTS's can be effectively combined with advanced tertiary treatment alternatives and resulting high quality treated effluents can be gainfully recycled into production and sanitation applications. The dimensions of sustainability, stakeholder satisfaction, appropriate technologies, regulatory frameworks, governing institutions, and financial models have also been discussed.