Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Resource Economics

Dissertation of Keerthi Kiran

Institutional Analysis for Sustainable Abatement of Industrial Water Pollution in Hyderabad

Start: October 2010
End: April 2013

 

Rapid industrialization in developing countries like India has resulted in economic growth with concurrent irreversible ecological losses. Industrial and urban expansion resulted in increased generation of wastewater and intense water scarcity necessitates its reuse. Since late 70s the South Indian city of Hyderabad attracted over 400 chemical and pharmaceutical industries, which have been contaminating water bodies in the city with hazardous effluents. Evidences show that measures for abating this pollution have been grossly insufficient in the rapid pursuit of economic growth. State funded Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETP), were also found to be ineffective in reducing the pollution load of the water bodies. Polluted surface and ground water in the region is found to be seriously affecting the health of the urban and suburban dwellers as the same water is used for drinking, household and agricultural purposes. The current scenario is resulting in huge social costs in terms of public health and securing potable water. Objectives of this study are principally to understand and evaluate prevalent Institutions and governance structures for industrial waste water management in Hyderabad. The study relies on the theories of New Institutional Economics for a framework of analysis and focuses on case studies as a methodology. The research will be carried out in close collaboration with International Crops Research Institute for the Semi Arid Tropics (ICRISAT, Hyderabad), and principal stakeholders such as Pollution Control Board of Andhra Pradesh (PCB-AP), industrial associations, chambers of commerce and other relevant government departments.


Researcher: Kiran, Keerthi

Cooperation Partners: International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)

Advisor: Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Konrad Hagedorn

Funding: German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)

 

Publications and Presentations: see