Riverbank filtration and managed aquifer recharge as
alternative water supply technologies for India:
strengths–weaknesses–opportunities–threats analysis
L. Essl, M. Starkl, P. C. Kimothi, C. Sandhu and T. Grischek
ABSTRACT
As part of the Saph Pani project, a rapid assessment of a riverbank filtration site in Haridwar and data
from literature on riverbank filtration and managed aquifer recharge in India are used for a strengths–
weaknesses–opportunities–threats (SWOT) analysis based on environmental, social, institutional and
economic aspects. Both technologies show a high potential for future application in India, where
alternative solutions are required to mitigate water scarcity and reduce the over-exploitation of
groundwater aquifers.
L. Essl
M. Starkl (corresponding author)
Centre for Environmental Management and
Decision Support (CEMDS),
Vienna,
Austria
E-mail: markus.starkl@boku.ac.at
P. C. Kimothi
Uttarakhand State Water Supply and Sewerage
Organisation – Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan (UJS),
Nehru Colony, Dehradun 248001,
India
C. Sandhu
T. Grischek
University of Applied Sciences Dresden,
Faculty of Civil Engineering & Architecture,
Division of Water Sciences,
Friedrich-List-Platz 1, 01069 Dresden,
Germany
Key words | riverbank filtration, sustainability assessment, SWOT analysis
INTRODUCTION
In India traditional approaches to manage water scarcity
based on lifestyle adaptations that minimised consumption
and maximised beneficial local use were practised until the
1970s. Highly variable rainfall over time and space and a
growing population has driven India’s society to depend
increasingly on groundwater and its use in India has been
constantly rising in the last 60 years from 10–20 km
3
before
1950 to 240–260 km
3
in 2010 (Shah ). Groundwater
covers 85% of drinking water supplies, but the resource is
not infinite: it is projected that by 2030 around 60% of the
groundwater sources will be in a critical state of degradation
(World Bank ). Possible ways to address the lack of
groundwater is through replenishment of groundwater or
by the use of alternative water sources such as river water.
This paper presents two approaches: riverbank filtration
(RBF) systems and managed aquifer recharge (MAR).
MAR is the planned augmentation of the amount of
groundwater available through works designed to increase
the natural replenishment or percolation of surface waters
into the aquifers, resulting in a corresponding increase in
the amount of groundwater available for abstraction (Oaks-
ford ), which is one of the oldest activities undertaken
in India to conserve rainwater both above ground and under-
ground. The process of RBF is initiated by the lowering of the
groundwater table below that of an adjoining surface water
table which causes surface water to flow through the per-
meable river bed and bank or lake bed into the aquifer as a
result of the difference in water levels. This paper reports
on a survey of existing MAR and RBF systems across India
and presents results of the evaluation of one selected RBF
system with an emphasis on non-technical aspects.
METHODOLOGY
To assess the potential of MAR and RBF in India, a
strengths–weaknesses–opportunities–threats (SWOT) analy-
sis was conducted. SWOT analysis was initially developed
for business management, but has also been used in natural
resource management. The SWOT analysis provides a frame
690 © IWA Publishing 2014 Water Science & Technology: Water Supply | 14.4 | 2014
doi: 10.2166/ws.2014.026