Meet the 20-year-old whose wastewater innovation earned UNDP recognition

New Delhi: Growing up in the slums of Mumbai after moving from Bihar's Madhubani in search of a better life, Piyush Jha witnessed how wastewater accumulating around homes exposed residents to diseases such as dengue, malaria and typhoid. The experience prompted him to explore a solution to the problem, eventually leading him to develop an affordable wastewater treatment technology that has now earned recognition from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

At just 20, Jha has developed a decentralised, modular wastewater treatment system designed to make wastewater treatment more accessible and affordable, particularly for industries. His innovation has been recognised through UNDP India's entrepreneurship initiative, the 'Youth Co:Lab National Innovation Challenge'.

Speaking to PTI on the occasion of World Rivers Day, Jha said his innovation seeks to tackle one of the major sources of pollution in India's water bodies: the discharge of untreated industrial wastewater.

He estimated that nearly 18,000 million litres of wastewater are discharged daily in India, of which only 20 to 30 per cent is treated.

"We don't require any chemical dosing to treat wastewater, nor do we require heavy civil infrastructure. The current water treatment plants require heavy civil infrastructure just to get started, which is a major concern for manufacturing and processing plants in India," he said.

Jha said the technology could indirectly benefit the common person by offering industries a more affordable way to treat wastewater before it is released into the environment.

The system is designed for industries such as textiles, leather, food and beverages, distilleries, paper and pulp, and sugar, which generate large volumes of biodegradable waste. The technology uses microorganisms to break down waste while generating electricity in the process, he said.

"When small and medium-scale industries get an affordable water treatment solution, they're less likely to discharge toxic wastewater into water bodies. It also helps them financially. An industry may earlier spend Rs 20 lakh on operational costs for water treatment, which our pretreatment solution reduces to Rs 5 to 7 lakh," he told PTI.

Industry partnerships and pilot opportunities

Jha said his company has already started working with several industry partners interested in the technology.

These include Mumbai-based cleantech startup Indra Water, which develops compact, decentralised wastewater treatment systems, and Pune-based sweets and snacks enterprise Chitale Bandhu Mithaiwale.

He has also received a conditional purchase order from Dahej Waste Service, a Bharuch-based company in Gujarat that provides commercial and industrial cleaning and waste management services.

From a second-hand laptop to a startup

Recalling how the idea took shape, Jha said his entrepreneurial journey began during the Covid-19 pandemic, when his mother helped him arrange a second-hand laptop.

He subsequently researched opportunities and programmes pursued by students and young entrepreneurs, which eventually led him towards developing his wastewater treatment solution.

"I don't have any formal degree in water treatment engineering. I'm the first in my family to start a company, since we come from a lower-middle-class background where even landing a job at a big firm