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| Water crisis looms large in India | | | Kota Sriraj
With 18 per cent of the world's population and only four per cent of the planet's resources, this country is already on the backfoot.
Water conservation has to become a national habit India observed the World Water Day on March 22, sounding the usual alarm over the deteriorating conditions of water availability, and joined the world in pondering over the grim and 'water scarce' future that awaits its population.
A United Nations report released on the eve of World Water Day predicted acute water scarcity for close to 3.4 billion people by 2025. The threat is serious and suggestions to deal with it have to be suitably calibrated into sustainable practices of water conservation that can be promptly and effectively converted into actuality.
Annual events, such as the World Water Day, are an opportunity for stock-taking and performance assessment on commitments made and targets fixed the previous year. They must not end up as a mere calendar date on which tremendous data is exchanged but there is little action.
India needs to urgently appreciate the gravity of the situation, especially against the backdrop of the UN report, which predicts that this country will be facing the brunt of the crisis due to conflicts arising out of water-sharing issues with other stakeholders in the region.
With 18 per cent of the world's population and four per cent of the planet's water resources, India is already on the backfoot. The steady fall in per capita availability of water over the past decade has compounded the problem and, if corrective measures are not implemented, it will become severe by 2050.
Events such as the World Water day can help immensely as the collective benefit of expert opinion can be leveraged not only for sounding a warning but also to discuss ways to avert the crisis.In order to avoid a full-blown water crisis, an intelligent management of the ground water resource is required. Nearly 80 per cent of agricultural India relies on ground-water supply. It is, therefore, imperative to have a well-regulated, ground-water usage system that ensures balanced consumption and allows for recharging of the water table.
In addition, careful monitoring of the coastal areas is of critical importance as excessive extraction of ground water may induce seepage of sea water into the fresh water table, rendering the latter unfit for human consumption.
Water scarcity can be precipitated by wastage. Currently, nearly 40 to 50 per cent of water is lost during pipeline supply leakage. Prevention of municipal supply wastage, by curbing pipeline leakage, is yet another important step towards to water conservation.
Municipal and other local authorities must collaborate with international experts and technology partners to computerise existing pipeline layouts, with maintenance and replacement schedules built into the database. This can help forecast the weak points in the water supply framework and take preventive action in replacing aging pipelines before a breakdown occurs, causing water wastage.
Rain water harvesting, as a method to conserve water, is still in its infancy as 65 per cent of rain water goes into the sea. Given this, it is of utmost importance that the authorities sensitise the population and make necessary infrastructure available that helps in conserving rainwater.
Once the people avail the benefits of rain water harvesting, water conservation will become a daily activity. But for that the Government needs to create the first success story.Also, water polluted is water wasted. The authorities need to take this aspect seriously considering that 90 per cent of the water discharged into the rivers does not meet environmental norms.
If we cannot safeguard our existing water quality, there is no point in generating additional water resources. Maintaining water quality norms, at the same time recycling water, will help us get into a better position.
As the population grows, water resources will come under tremendous pressure from the rising demand. Intensive efforts are needed to make a difference. For instance, the International Water Management Institute-Tata Water Policy Programme was given the 'Water for Life' Best Practices award by the United Nations.
More of such initiatives can be planned and implemented on a national basis and taken up for review on annual events such as the World Water Day. This will help in imparting much more significance to these events and enhance their relevance. |
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