Bhubaneswar: The Housing and Urban Development (H&UD) Department organised a symposium on used water management as part of the Odisha Urban Conclave 2026 in the capital city here.

Senior government officials, engineers, policymakers, academicians, technocrats and industry representatives participated in the symposium at the Convention Centre Auditorium of Lok Seva Bhawan and deliberated on sustainable, safe and economically viable approaches to wastewater treatment, reuse and resource recovery.

Gracing the symposium as chief guest, H&UD Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra emphasised the growing importance of effective used water management in the rapidly urbanising landscape. He also stressed the need for safe and economical management of treated wastewater and sludge through sustainable technologies.

Moreover, the minister called for greater focus on solutions that can transform wastewater from a waste stream into a valuable resource.

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, said the H&UD Department.

H&UD Department Additional Chief Secretary Usha Padhee 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.

Besides, Padhee 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 VK Chaurasia, CPHEEO, shared insights on national best practices, technologies, policy perspectives and the future vision for used water management.

Prasanta Kumar Mohapatra, a senior official of the H&UD Department, shared Odisha’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 the state.

Experts and researchers from several premier institutes including IIT- Palakkad, IIT-Roorkee, IIT-Bhubaneswar, Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) and Water Resources Department in Odisha deliberated on various aspects of the wastewater treatment and its reuse.

“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,” said the Department.