Abstract:
India is a nation of villages where almost 70 percent of country’s population resides. It has been
estimated that about 500,000 rural and tribal communities (<5,000 population each), having a
cumulative population of approximately 600 million, are still aspiring for having sewage treatment
plants (STPs) in their respective communities [1]. This huge population is generating a large volume
of wastewater that continued to discharge into natural watercourses leading to the pollution of rivers
and groundwater reservoirs in India [3, 4]. Mostly, all stretches of the major rivers and streams across
the nation are loaded with sewages and sludge posing a severe threat to the human and ecosystems
health [1]. In addition, excessive withdrawal of water for agricultural and other utilities has posed a
new problem of rapid decrease in groundwater table which seems to be a major obstacle in the path
of development of any rural community as mostly livelihood depends on agriculture [6]. Therefore,
to maintain the pace for development of any rural community, it is the urgent need to make the
society at least zero water deficits. This can be achieved only when an appropriate water
management and conservation strategy is being adopted through development of zero liquid
discharge (ZLD) facilities to fulfill the aim of self sustenance.
