Desalination Plants

Context:

In the latest development, Maharashtra announced the setting up of a desalination plant in Mumbai, becoming the fourth state in the country to experiment with the idea.

What is a desalination plant?

• A desalination plant turns salt water into water that is fit to drink.
• These plants are mostly set up in areas that have access to seawater.

Which technology is preferred?

• The most commonly used technology for the process is reverse osmosis where external pressure is applied to push solvents from an area of high solute concentration to an area of low-solute concentration through a membrane.
• The microscopic pores in the membranes allow water molecules through but leave salt and most other impurities behind, releasing clean water from the other side.

How widely is this technology used in India?

• The following states are using the technology:
• Tamil Nadu: Tamil Nadu has been the pioneer in using this technology, setting up two desalination plants near Chennai in 2010 and then 2013.
• Gujarat: The other states that have proposed these plants are Gujarat, which has announced to set up a 100 MLD RO plant at the Jodiya coast in Jamnagar district.
  • There are also proposals to set up desalination plants in Dwarka, Kutch, Dahej, Somnath, Bhavnagar, and Pipavav, which are all coastal areas in Gujarat.
• Andhra Pradesh: Andhra Pradesh, too, has plans of setting up a plant.