Water consumption by industries

Among Indian industries, thermal power generation is the largest consumer of water. Thermal power plants require enormous quantities of water for cooling condenser systems and steam generation. While paper and pulp industry, textiles, and engineering industries also consume significant water, thermal power plants consume approximately 30-40% of India's industrial water usage. This is because every unit of electricity generation from thermal sources requires cooling water in large volumes. With India's heavy reliance on thermal power for electricity, this industry dominates water consumption statistics. > Thermal power plants = Maximum industrial water consumer due to cooling requirements. Answer: (d).