EXPLORING THE POSSIBILITY FOR RECLAMATION OF WASTELAND IN AN DROUGHT HIT REGION USING TREATED/UNTREATED URBAN WASTEWATER

Abstract. With an increase in population, the water demand for domestic, industrial, and agriculture growth ultimately limitation in wastewater management is also increasing. In recent years, due to a decrease in rainfall, agricultural production has been reduced in rain-fed irrigation areas, leading to an increase in fallow land. Thus, understating the water stress with the urge to manage the potentially used resource (wastewater) and to sustain the per capita land availability for agriculture. It is the right time to focus on the recycling water – through reuse urban wastewater for irrigation. The present study is carried out to assess the feasibility of using domestic wastewater in reclaiming peri-urban wastelands that exist due to a lack of water for agriculture. On analysis of wastewater samples, it satisfies the irrigation water quality standards. The wasteland samples‘ results show some nutrients are deficient in the soil and water scarcity in the region. Hence the efficiency wastewater in enriching the soil quality can be assessed through experimental investigations as treated municipal wastewater is a valuable water source for recycling and reuse in the arid and semi-arid regions, which are confronting increasing water shortages.