India and its water crisis

 

 

Today millions of people around the world are suffering for water as water resources are depleting day by day, yet issues regarding water scarcity is not talked about in the world at large while with increasing reports of water-scarcity and areas facing drought, saving water and using it more efficiently has become the need of the hour.

As per the United Nations Water Development Report 2018, approximately 3.6 billion people around the world are living in areas where water levels are extremely low, or diminishing at a rapid pace. This means that water shortage is threatening the lives of almost 50 percent of the world’s population, who could be facing a major water deficiency in the very near future.

If we talk about India, the unavailability of clean drinking water has always been a matter of concern, especially with the increasing population, it is becoming a big challenge. It is estimated that by 2030 the demand-supply gap of water will increase from 50% to 75%.

According to a NITI Aayog report published in 2019 – over 600 million people, or almost half of India's population, face extreme water stress. Furthermore, three-quarters of India's rural households do not have piped, potable water and depend on sources that pose serious health risks.

Some World Bank figures also highlight the country's plight:

. 163 million Indians do not have access to safe drinking water

. 210 million Indians do not have access to improved sanitation

. 21% of communicable diseases are linked to unsafe water

. Diarrhea kills 500 children under the age of five every day in India

. Pollutants, such as industrial waste, sewage and agricultural runoff, are other major factors that contaminate water bodies and make the water unsuitable for human consumption.

Residents with their empty containers crowd around a municipal tanker to fetch water

What about extracted groundwater?,

It would not be wrong to say that India's record in water management or improper management of the available resources has always been poor. The infrastructure for collection, storage and distribution of water in the country is inadequate. In our country groundwater is one of the most important sources for irrigation as well as for rural and urban domestic water supply, however, due to over-exploitation of this valuable resource, its depletion is increasing day by day.

According to the World Bank, only 28% of the wastewater generated in India is treated. This wastes a large amount of water, resulting in depletion of water resources.

India is more dependent on water pumped from aquifers than any other nation. It accounts for about a quarter of global demand for groundwater. Here more than 90 percent of groundwater  is used for irrigated agriculture. The remaining 24 billion cubic meters supplies 85 percent of the country’s drinking water. Roughly 80 percent of India’s 1.35 billion residents depend on groundwater for both drinking and irrigation.

Today India has become the world's largest groundwater extracting country, which is 25 percent of the total groundwater. 70 percent of our sources are contaminated and our major rivers are dying due to pollution. The result is that 'India is suffering from the worst water crisis in its history.’

The Government of India has already issued a warning against the country facing a serious water crisis in the next few years due to over-exploitation of rivers and groundwater sources, in which at least 253 blocks in the country have already reached critical status, and over 680 fall in the semi-critical category.

Any country that pumps more groundwater could reach water supplies and food security, but risk future political and economic stability and long-term public health.

Is climate change a cause?

Climate change is expected to increase this pressure on water resources even as the frequency and intensity of floods and droughts increase in the country. As such, dependence on the increasingly erratic monsoon for water needs further adds to the challenge. It has been said that, in 2023, around 91 million Indians will not have access to safe water due to overexploitation, climate change and inadequate infrastructure.

The 'UN World Water Development Report 2023: Partnerships and Cooperation for Water', released on 22 March, ahead of the UN 2023 Water Conference, states that nearly 80% of people in Asia live in water stress; Specifically, Northeast China, as well as India and Pakistan.

Yes, the global urban population facing water scarcity is projected to increase from 933 million in 2016 to 1.7-2.4 billion people in 2050. -  a major UN report has said.

With 1,486 cubic meters (1.5 million liters) of water available per person per year, India falls in the water-stressed category. A drop below 1,000 cubic meters per person per year is likely to push India into the category of water-scarce countries.

Another report by the United Nations Institute for Water, Environment and Health in January 2023 had estimated that India’s 3,700 large dams may also have lost on average 26 per cent of their initial total storage by 2050.

According to data from the Central Water Commission, erratic and deficit winter rainfall led to water shortages nationwide. For all parts of India except the north, major reservoirs only hold 92% of the water we observed last year (86.45 billion cubic metres compared to 94 in 2022) and out of 91 major reservoirs in the country, 80 per cent have storage below normal. Of these, 11 have zero percent storage, making the water crisis acute.

These reservoirs act as a buffer when the water situation turns dire; thus, this is an extremely undesirable position. Furthermore, if the Earth manages to actually transition into an El Niño (El Niño is a climate pattern that describes the unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean) phase this year, India might receive even sparser rains during the upcoming monsoon which severely exacerbates countrywide water crises.

Severe lack of regulation, excessive privatization, general neglect and rampant government corruption have left generations thirsty for more than a few drops of hazard-free water.

All in all, pinpointed government intervention is crucial to ensure we steer clear of a water crisis in the coming months and years. Undertakings like the Jal Shakti Abhiyan of 2019 to harvest monsoon precipitation better as well as Atal Bhujal Yojana to recharge groundwater more effectively will certainly help, but political intervention to enforce them will become paramount to their efficacy.