France-based water, energy and waste management major Veolia has its sights set on municipality (water distribution system) and hazardous waste treatment in India, said Guillaume Dourdin, India CEO of the $52bn group..
Hazardous waste solution is a priority for the group in India, Dourdin told TOI. “Apart from handling hazardous waste, there are other services that Veolia can offer to industrial companies to help them better manage their water cycle process, water reuse for industrial use, and cooling. Since we are engaged with those industrial companies, we can support them in other aspects to address their sustainability and environmental challenges,” he said.
In June, Veolia announced that it was adding 530,000 tonnes of new hazardous waste annual treatment capacity by 2030 to respond to intensifying global demand and critical treatment capacity shortages.
Apart from hazardous waste, Dourdin added that Veolia will continue to develop its municipal presence. Veolia India has partnered with various local authorities in parts of New Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Mohali to provide 24/7 water supply through a water distribution system.
Commenting on Veolia’s work in Nagpur, where it is providing pressurised 24/7 drinking water supply, Dourdin said, “We were able to reduce the non-revenue water (water that is produced and then lost) significantly. We deployed a digital solution that allows us to monitor the entire water supply and the customer service from a centralised control. Our customer service centre, which used to take only incoming calls, is now running campaigns of outgoing calls to check directly with the customer whether they are facing any issues with the water. ” He added that the data allows them to identify areas where they still need to improve the water distribution.
