WATER CRISIS

Despite having 4% of the world’s water resources, India became water-stressed in 2011. According to official statistics, India accounts for over 17% of the global population but only 4% of the global freshwater resources. According to a 2019 NITI Aayog report, 600 million Indians lack access to clean water, making this the biggest water crisis the nation has ever experienced. According to government statistics, despite recent advancements, almost 50% of rural families still do not have access to tap water. Water is an issue that extends beyond mere homes. Making sure there is adequate water for both industry and agriculture is a huge challenge. This makes it one of the world’s most water-stressed countries and casts doubt on the future of food production. According to NITI Aayog, water shortages would be severe on 74% of the land used for cultivating wheat and 65% of the land used for growing rice by 2030. India’s primary user of water stock is agriculture. 80–90% of the drinking water needs in rural India are met by groundwater resources. The fact that groundwater levels in India dropped by more than 60% between 2007 and 2017 and that nearly 90% of the water collected is used for agriculture is concerning. Rainfall supplies over 70% of India’s agricultural output. However, the sea takes 65% of its total annual rainfall. Another cause of water stress is water contamination, which has a knock-on effect on the healthcare sector. 36% of Indians live in cities, whereas 70% of water pollution is caused by urbanisation. India treats its water resources as a commodity. It is not viewed as a resource with a monetary value and a cost associated with its consumption. In the delusion that rain will replenish our water supply, we also use it quickly. Water availability has decreased over time, from 1,816 cubic metres in 2001 to 1,546 cubic metres in 2011 to 1,367 cubic metres in 2021, based on a per-person basis. In India, the issue of water scarcity is primarily related to poor management of the available resources. We use untreated water and release it into open waterways and freshwater areas, which contaminates the water. Generally being over-exploited are subsurface water reserves, also known as groundwater. A major source of inequality is also access to water. When a water source is damaged, the many people who had relied on it for work frequently suffer. Employment in fishing, sand mining, and water transportation is affected. The preferential cornering of access to the water supply frequently follows the restoration of it. In major cities, it’s typical to see long lines forming at water tankers outside of slums. Almost all of our tall buildings purchase water tankers to boost their supplies.

No one organisation can address the complicated water situation on its own. The government, the local community, and village panchayats are all accountable for sharing resources and cooperating to save our limited supply of water. They must be equipped with the knowledge to enable them to make wise decisions.