Bhubaneswar, Aug 24: The Technical Symposium on Used Water Management, organised as part of the Odisha Urban Conclave 2026, was held at the Lok Seva Bhawan here on Sunday.

Senior government officials, engineers, policymakers, academicians, technocrats and industry representatives participated in the symposium and deliberated on sustainable, safe and economically viable approaches to wastewater treatment, reuse and resource recovery.

Housing & Urban Development Minister Dr. Krushna Chandra Mahapatra emphasised the growing importance of effective used water management in the rapidly urbanising landscape.

Addressing the gathering, the Minister stressed the need for safe and economical management of treated wastewater and sludge through sustainable technologies. He also called for greater focus on solutions that can transform wastewater from a waste stream into a valuable resource.

Dr Mahapatra highlighted the importance of coordinated efforts among government agencies, technical institutions, practitioners and technology providers to address the challenges of urban wastewater management. The deliberations reflected Odisha’s commitment to innovative and sustainable approaches for water security, environmental protection and resource recovery.

Usha Padhee, Additional Chief Secretary, Housing & Urban Development Department, emphasised the need to move beyond merely treating and disposing of wastewater towards planned and safe reuse of treated wastewater.

She called upon technocrats and professionals to develop practical, sustainable and scalable solutions that can facilitate the effective reuse of treated water. She stressed the importance of stronger technological and institutional interventions to make treated wastewater an integral part of sustainable urban water management.

The symposium brought together national perspectives, State-level experience and technological expertise. Dr. V. K. Chaurasia, CPHEEO, shared insights on national best practices, technologies, policy perspectives and the future vision for used water management.

Er. Prasanta Kumar Mohapatra, H&UD Department, shared the state’s experience in used water management, including the implementation of selected Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) projects.

He highlighted the practical challenges and lessons emerging from wastewater treatment infrastructure in Odisha.

A key session focused on sludge management and resource recovery. Dr. Guruprasad Talekar and his team from IIT Palakkad presented advances in STP/FSTP sludge management, including state-of-the-art technologies and developments relating to bio-solids standards in India. The session highlighted the potential for recovering valuable resources from sludge while reducing the environmental impact of conventional disposal practices.

Prof. Bhaskar Jyoti Deka, Department of Hydrology, IIT Roorkee, spoke on innovative wastewater treatment processes for reuse and resource recovery. His presentation highlighted emerging approaches to improve treatment efficiency and create opportunities for safe reuse of treated wastewater and recovery of resources.

The technical sessions were further enriched by Prof. Rajesh Roshan Dash, IIT Bhubaneswar, who discussed emerging aerobic and anaerobic wastewater treatment processes and their potential applications in meeting the changing requirements of urban wastewater management.

The policy and planning aspects of wastewater reuse were also discussed. Dr. Nitin Bassi, Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), shared perspectives on policies for reuse of treated wastewater, while Shri Subrata Chakraborty, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), spoke on the planning challenges involved in safe and effective reuse of treated water.

The symposium also covered urban drainage and integrated water infrastructure. Er. Abinash Roul, Engineer-in-Chief, Department of Water Resources, Government of Odisha, presented on innovative city drainage systems and their role in sustainable urban water management.

The technical deliberations were followed by an Industry Showcase (Technology Pitch), featuring innovative solutions in low-footprint STP technologies, decentralised wastewater treatment, wastewater conveyance, ETP and STP technologies, aerated wetlands, in-situ lake and nala remediation, and mechanised sewer and sludge management.

The symposium provided an important platform for bringing together policy, technology, research and implementation perspectives on used water management. The deliberations emphasised that the future of urban water management lies not only in effective wastewater treatment but also in its safe reuse and resource recovery.

The overarching message from the symposium was the need to move from a “treat-and-dispose” approach to a “treat, reuse and recover” model, supported by appropriate policies, innovative technologies, robust planning and collaboration among government, academia, industry and the technocrat community. Such an approach can significantly strengthen Odisha’s urban water security, environmental sustainability and transition towards a circular water economy.