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India’s $80 Billion Coal Expansion Deepens Water Crisis

Shrinking water supplies in regions such as Solapur have prompted NTPC to pilot recycling measures at its coal plant.

A worker stands inside a sewage treatment plant in Chandrapur, India, February 2, 2025. REUTERS/Priyanshu Singh
An employee is seen inside the NTPC (National Thermal Power Corporation) power plant in Solapur, India, March 2, 2025. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas
A general view of the Ujani Dam, on the outskirts of Solapur, India, March 1, 2025. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas
A girl covers a pot filled with water with a plastic sheet to protect it from dust next to a water ATM machine in Solapur, India, March 3, 2025. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas

Overview

  • India plans to invest $80 billion in coal-based power by 2031, with 37 of 44 new projects sited in areas classified as water-stressed.
  • Thermal plants consume about 4.6 billion cubic meters of fresh water annually—enough to serve 250 million people—according to Greenpeace.
  • Since 2014, water shortages have cost 60.33 billion units of coal-generated electricity and forced repeated shutdowns at the Chandrapur facility.
  • In Solapur, residents now wait up to a week for tap water during summer as municipal supplies lag behind growing demand.
  • Experts recommend dry cooling and treated wastewater systems, but only about 2% of plants use dry cooling and 5–8% use sewage treatment.