“India is suffering from the worst water crisis in its history and millions of lives and livelihoods are under threat.”

Composite Water Management Index, June 2018, NITI Aayog

The gloomy picture on the impending water crisis of our country projected by the National Institution for the Transformation of India (NITI) Aayog seems more dreadful than the apprehension of the environmentalists. The tiger is prowling at the threshold. Though the candid exposure of the water crisis is applauded for transparency, the present pressing situation is created not by water resources but by poor water management. However, there is no time to waste for contention.

According to NITI Aayog, about 200,000 people die every year due to inadequate access to safe water. The report reveals that about 600 million people of our country face high to extreme water stress. The Composite Water Management Index (CWMI) report released by the Niti Aayog in 2018, 21 major cities including Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad are expected to reach to zero groundwater levels by 2020 affecting access for 100 million people. Chennai was practically the first Indian city to have gone dry.

75% of households of the country do not have drinking water at home, whereas, 84% rural households do not have piped water access. What is more alarming is that with nearly 70% of water being contaminated, India is placed at 120^th amongst 122 countries in the water quality index. On the other hand, frequent droughts are intensifying complexity of the situations in a country like India where more than 50% of agricultural still depends on rainfall.

The NITI Aayog report admits that the water crisis is getting worse and going to pose more formidable shape as the demand of water of our country is projected to be twice the available supply. Needless to say, hundreds of millions of people of India are going to face severe water crisis. It implies an eventual 6% loss in the country’s GDP. Naturally, the crisis will be severer by 2050. The water requirement is likely to be a milder 1180 BCM (billion cubic metres) whereas the present day availability is 695 BCM. Therefore, to meet the ever-growing demand for water implies the need for an improved understanding of our water resources and usage and ability to manage in an equitable and sustainable way.

By sucking out nearly 260 cubic kms of water every year India is the biggest groundwater user in the world. 25% of all groundwater extracted globally is used in our country. The Green Revolution changed the scenario by doubling the share of groundwater in agriculture from 35% during independence to more than 70% at present. Now groundwater is the source of 90% of rural India’s drinking water needs, 75% of agrarian needs and 50% of urban India’s water needs.

Though water is a state subject, Central Ground Water Authority has been constituted under Section 3 (3) of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to regulate and control development and management of ground water resources in the country. Unfortunately, the regulatory agency under the central government is reportedly inactive to stall unsustainable use of groundwater accompanied by upsetting recharge system. The NITI Aayog database says that 54% of well in India are declining in level due to unsustainable withdrawal for irrigation.

Experts mostly view that population explosion and mismanagement of water resources are the paramount reasons behind water scarcity in India. Inefficient use of water for agriculture under traditional irrigation techniques is one of the major reasons as 80% of the country’s water is used for agriculture. Punjab farmers use almost 4000 litres of water to produce one kilogram of paddy, whereas, according to some studies same amount of paddy can be grown with just 300 litres of water. Besides, wastage of a large amount of water through drainage and swage and leakages is another major concern.

Reduction of traditional water recharging areas due to excessive construction has upset the revival of traditional aquifers. Besides, a study conducted by the Centre for Climate Change put blame on constructions of highways, roads, flyovers, airports, skyscrapers depleting water resources in Chennai. Contamination of water due to excessive mingling of chemical wastes, muck and effluents into both running and stagnant water bodies is turning a vast amount of water unfit to use.  

However, much emphasis laid on the part of the Union Government to overcome the acute water crisis is a matter of solace. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pet new project “Piped Water for All by 2024” is, of course, a drastic step to arrest the impending march of water crisis. Nearly half a dozen departments that used to deal with surface and groundwater have been amalgamated to form the Jal Shakti Ministry, the first time in the country’s history, announced on May 31.

Gajendra Shekhawat, the first minister of Jal Shakti ministry, dispersing all doubts and apprehensions is optimistic about the successful implementation of the “Piped Water for All by 2014” project. Prime Minister has also directed village panchayats to construct check dams and embankments along rivers and streams and reservoirs to figure out the water crisis by enhancing water storage. Mr. Shekhawat with a view to make up the limited scope of Union Government’s intervention has decided to study macro and micro issues and adopt a holistic approach to push for ‘sustainable conscientious use of water’ to meet future challenges.  Undoubtedly, no Central Government of the country has so far exhibited such a high degree of initiative to address the problem of water crisis.

But these are not enough. A massive mass awareness campaign should be orchestrated. Public awareness is urgently needed to stop wasting water in everyday life. According to experts urban access can be improved by reducing the approximately 40% of water lost due to leakages in urban areas through smart technologies such as sensors. Waste water treatment capacity in most of states is not up to the expectation. More than half of their waste water is left untreated.

Waterless urinals in our homes can save millions of gallons of water. The habit of excessive running of water during bathing, washing clothes and cleaning utensils should be reformed. Rain harvesting infrastructure and facility should be made compulsory in flats, offices, and housing colonies. Traditional rain water harvesting areas like tanks, ponds, ditches must not be allowed to be encroached for construction and building purposes. De-silting operations in larger water bodies must be continued to enhance water storage capacity during monsoon.

Above all, the National River Linking Project (NRLP) should cautiously be under the consideration to envisage the transfer of water from water ‘surplus’ basins devastated by floods to water ‘deficit’ basins hit by drought and acute scarcity of water, through inter-basin water transfer projects. In 2002, A P J Abdul Kalam, the former President of India, during a speech proposed it as a solution to India’s water crisis.

The subject must be given high priority to save the country from the bleak prospect. As the problem of water crisis possesses its worst look particularly during the summer months, it is ingrained in the deep psyche of the ordinary people that it is a seasonal problem. Only then the dailies and journals are beset with wads of news and articles. But as soon as the monsoon clouds appear, the problem of water crisis passes into oblivion. But we are not far away from the days when water crisis will be our constant worry.

Jean Giono, a French author, in his work “The Man Who Planted Trees” written on the setting of Provence region of France in early 20^th century sketched the horrendous pen picture of the desolation and abandonment of some villages because of complete exhaustion of water sources. Is a large part of our country going to be destined to face such an acerbic experience before long?

Mr. Buddhadev Nandi is a writer based in Bishnupur, West Bengal.