Externalities and Farmers Perception on the Use of Treated Sewage Water for Agriculture

Abstract

As global economic growth complicates water challenges, exploring the potential of treating and reusing wastewater in agriculture is crucial for achieving long-term water sustainability. This study investigates the positive and negative externalities associated with using treated sewage water for agriculture through borewell recharge. Primary data was collected employing snowball sampling to select sample of 60 farmers whose borewells had been replenished with treated sewage water. The study also examines farmers' perceptions of using this treated water. The findings reveal that the positive externalities (0.560) outweigh the negative externalities (0.506), as indicated by the externality index derived from principal component analysis. However, an increase in the consumption of fertilizers and pesticides was noted over the past three years following the implementation of the Koramangala-Challaghatta valley project. This paper provides a detailed account of both the positive and negative externalities of using treated sewage water, along with farmers' perception on its reuse and their pesticide use behaviour.