The Alliance in partnership with USAID and USAEP developed partnerships with urban infrastructure institutions in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh to find practical solutions to this increasingly critical situation. These solutions focus around the concept of ‘Watergy’ – a term used to describe the interrelatedness of water and energy.

The Alliance introduced this concept to individual states in India, initially partnering with the Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development Finance Corporation (KUIDFC). The Alliance’s practical focus made clear the opportunities for improving energy efficiency within Indian municipalities. A series of detailed energy audits focused upon urban water delivery systems was developed by The Energy Resource Institute (TERI) in Bangalore. The findings of these reports have led many municipal officials to implement a series of efficiency measures that has since improved the service of water systems across the state. Audit findings show that savings as high as 40% of annual energy costs can be achieved through complete implementation of audit recommendations, while providing over half a million people who previously had no water access with water for the first time.

Through the Alliance’s capacity building efforts, KUIDFC’s Energy Management Cell has become a resource center with the capacity to share extensive energy efficiency knowledge with water system operators across the state.

Based on the impressive results in the first four audits the state chose to fund audits for an additional eight cities. Some of the challenges common to these municipalities include high rates of non-revenue water, incomplete water service coverage, intermittent water service provision, and disproportionately high water pumping costs.

As part of this effort, the Alliance has leveraged funds from the World Bank and Asian Development Bank (ADB) to take efficiency measures even further. The World Bank in their forthcoming fifty million dollar water and sanitation loan for Karnataka state, focused upon medium sized India municipalities, has included energy efficiency recommendations developed through Alliance guidance.

Andhra Pradesh and Beyond

The Karnataka capacity building model was applied and adopted to the challenges faced by Andhra Pradesh municipalities in 2003. The Alliance’s partnership with Andhra Pradesh Urban Services for the Poor (APUSP) has linked 32 municipalities in AP to efficiency know-how. Based upon Alliance capacity building efforts, the Vizianagaram Municipal Corporation has passed a municipal resolution requiring that energy efficiency be a purchasing criterion when considering new street lighting systems.

In the western state of Maharashtra, the Alliance has struck a partnership with the Maharashtra Energy Development Authority (MEDA), a state agency with a mission to develop awareness around renewable and energy efficiency options, and the All India Institute of Local Self Government (AIILSG), an institution focused upon improving the capacity of state officials to manage and develop urban infrastructure. This partnership will work to apply Watergy efficiency concepts in municipalities throughout the state of Maharashtra.

For more information please contact
Roopa Kamesh, Senior Program Manager rkamesh@ase.org or
Sudha Setty, India Country Coordinator – Bangalore, ssetty@ase.org