Many residents now build their routine around water scarcity.— Reuters
APRIL marks the start of the cruellest months for residents of Solapur, a parched district in western India.
As temperatures soar, water becomes scarce. In the peak of summer, some residents wait more than a week for their taps to run.
Just a decade ago, the situation wasn’t as dire. Water flowed into homes every other day, according to local authorities and long-time residents.
But that changed in 2017, when a massive coal-fired power plant run by state-owned National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) began operating.
The 1,320mW plant brought energy to the region – and a powerful new competitor for water. It draws from the same reservoir that supplies local communities, deepening shortages and stoking resentment.
Employee’s performing cooling operations where coal is stored at the NTPC power plant (left) in Solapur. — Reuters
A woman cycling past the NTPC power plant in Solapur. — Reuters
Solapur is now a case study in a growing national dilemma: how to balance soaring energy demands with dwindling water supplies.
India holds 17% of the world’s population but has access to only 4% of its water resources. And yet, it is doubling down on coal.
According to a government power ministry document seen by Reuters, the country plans to invest nearly US$80bil by 2031 in new coal-fired plants – the majority of which are slated for India’s driest regions.
The document, which is not public, is used by officials to track the progress of thermal projects.
Of the 44 new coal projects on the list, 37 are in areas the government categorises as either water-scarce or water-stressed. NTPC, which reports that 98.5% of its water usage comes from such areas, is involved in nine of them.
“Problems come up much later,” said Shripad Dharmadhikary, founder of Manthan Adhyayan Kendra, a research centre focused on water and energy. “But the push for big infrastructure is politically attractive.”
NTPC told Reuters it is “continuously striving towards conservation of water with best of our efforts in Solapur,” including using treated and recycled water. It did not respond to questions about possible expansion plans.
The power ministry has previously told Parliament that locations for coal plants are chosen based on land and water access.
But according to water researchers and officials with the Central Ground Water Board, land availability usually takes precedence.
“Developers look for areas with easy land availability – minimum resistance for maximum land – even if water is far away,” said Rudrodip Majumdar, an energy and environment professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies in Bengaluru.
India’s arcane land laws can delay projects for years. So energy companies, under pressure to meet rising electricity demand, often opt for remote regions like Solapur where land is easier to secure.
Authorities from the power ministry and water departments in Maharashtra, where Solapur is located, did not respond to requests for comment.
A man cleaning out a small well in Chandrapur. — Reuters
‘Nothing’ in Solapur?
Rajani Thoke, a Solapur resident and mother of two, has built her routine around water scarcity.
“On days when water comes, I don’t focus on anything else – I store water, wash clothes, do all the essential work,” she said.
The Solapur plant was approved in 2008 by then federal power minister Sushilkumar Shinde, even though the area had already been labelled water-scarce.
Shinde, now in the opposition Congress party, said he helped NTPC acquire land by brokering payments for local farmers.
He argued that the US$1.34bil plant brought jobs – thousands during construction and around 2,500 part-time positions now – and blamed local authorities for mismanaging water distribution.
“There was nothing in Solapur in 2008,” Shinde said. “And I made sure farmers got good money.”
City official Sachin Ombase admitted that water infrastructure hasn’t kept pace with population growth, but said the municipality is working to fix it.
Yet signs of water conflict were apparent even before the plant came online.
Its first unit was delayed by over a year due to chronic water shortages. In the end, the plant had to source water from a reservoir some 120km away – a costly arrangement prone to theft and loss, experts said.
According to a 2023 federal report, the Solapur station ranks among India’s least water-efficient coal plants. It also has one of the lowest capacity utilisation rates.
According to a 2023 federal report, the Solapur station ranks among India’s least water-efficient coal plants. It also has one of the lowest capacity utilisation rates. —Reuters
NTPC countered that its internal data shows efficiency within national norms.
In general, Indian thermal plants use about twice as much water as their global counterparts, according to the Centre for Science and Environment, a Delhi-based think tank.
In March, plant officials told reporters that utilisation would rise with increasing power demand – implying that water usage would also climb.
Meanwhile, a survey by state groundwater authorities indicates that Solapur’s irrigation demand already outstrips supply by about 33%.
Dharmes Waghmore, who owns farmland near the power station, said he’d like to develop his land and become self-sufficient. But digging a bore well is risky.
“What if there’s no water?” he said.
For Kuladeep Jangam, a senior local official, water scarcity has stymied Solapur’s development.
“The lack of water neutralises all other pull factors for business,” he said.
People wait for their turn to fill containers with drinking water inside the Mahagenco Super Thermal Power Plant campus in Chandrapur. — Reuters
A thirsty future
Since 2014, India has lost 60.33 billion units of coal-fired electricity generation – equivalent to about 19 days of national supply – because plants were forced to shut down due to water shortages, government records show.
Among the worst affected is the Chandrapur Super Thermal Power Station, about 500km northeast of Solapur. One of India’s largest coal plants, it frequently shuts multiple units during weak monsoons.
Despite this, Chandrapur is planning to expand its capacity by 800MW, according to the same internal power ministry document.
Six sources at Mahagenco, the state-run operator, confirmed the plans – though the plant has yet to identify a water source for the expansion.
Mahagenco did not respond to questions. The power ministry document indicates the plant already has coal secured.
Tensions with local communities have flared in the past.
In 2017, during a severe drought, residents protested to demand that water be diverted from the plant to their homes.
Local lawmaker Sudhir Mungantiwar intervened, ordering the plant to release water.
Despite that history, Mungantiwar said he supports the expansion – hoping it will replace older, thirstier units.
However, plans to retire two polluting, water-guzzling units have been repeatedly postponed, reportedly at the urging of the federal government amid post-pandemic power demand.
Chandrapur resident Anjali, who like many in the area uses only one name, now fetches water from a public tap near the station.
“We’re poor,” she said. “We make do with whatever we can get.” — Reuters
