Water problem for industries likely to rise further: Ficci

New Delhi: Expressing concern over inadequate availability of water for industries, Ficci today said the problem is likely to increase in the coming years.

"Over the past few years, access to water has become difficult and the problem is likely to increase in the coming years. This is a major worry for industries belonging to sectors like thermal power plants, chemicals, textiles, cement

and manufacturing," the chamber said in a survey.

[caption id="attachment_175397" align="alignleft" width="380" caption="Anand Sharma speaks during a business meeting organised by FICCI in New Delhi in 2009. Reuters"][/caption]

Water demand of the industrial sector is on the rise and will account for 8.5 percent and 10.1 percent of total freshwater abstraction in 2025 and 2050, respectively, it said.

"Availability of water is becoming an area of concern for industries," it said.

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About 60 percent of the respondents said availability of water is impacting their business.

The survey said the poor quality of water is also a big concern for industries in sectors like pharmaceuticals, power, food processing and agriculture.

"High costs for obtaining water are hindering the business interest of smaller industries and the ones which are located in the drier regions of the country," it added.

PTI