Severe water crisis on 600 million Indians, why quenching thirst is such a big problem for India

India is facing a water crisis with many major rivers drying up across India. Such a severe water crisis had never been seen before. India has 18 percent of the world’s population, while the country has only 4 percent of water resources. This makes India one of the most water deficient countries in the world. This is the reason that in the last few years, with the arrival of summer, water is becoming a precious commodity like gold in India.

According to a recent report by NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India) "A large number of Indians face water crisis. India’s dependence on the erratic monsoon for its water needs is adding to the challenge. Due to this, the lives and livelihood of lakhs of people are in danger. Currently, 600 million Indians are facing severe water crisis and about two lakh people die every year due to lack of water and difficulties in accessing it. By 2030, the country’s water demand is projected to double the available supply, leading to severe water scarcity for millions of people and a loss of about 6 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP)."

It was also said in the report of NITI Aayog that the challenges of water have increased due to climate change. Persistent climate change has created flood or drought-like situations in water sources. 

According to the Central Water Commission (CWC), three major river basins in India, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri are critically endangered at the end of June 2019. By 2019, Cauvery should be at 22% water capacity, but it was only 12.5%. Water storage in the Godavari and Krishna river basins was 8.7 per cent and 5.7 per cent, nearly half of the average for that year. 

Why Indian rivers are at risk 

Indian rivers are facing serious threats from local factors such as sand mining, along with climate crisis, indiscriminate construction of dams, and increasing shift towards hydropower. Most of the longest rivers are fast drying up due to dams and development projects. 

Today 96 percent of our rivers are within the radius of 10 km to 100 km. (The longest rivers are in the 500-1000 km range. India needs longer rivers.

Environmental experts say that the biggest reason for the ever-increasing shortage of water is the loss of ponds. The country of more than 1.3 billion people is losing its water bodies due to climate change, pollution, anthropogenic activities, overcrowding areas and human behaviour. Ground water depletion is one of the major reasons and over-exploitation has negatively affected the situation.

Water is not only a problem for homes. Rather it is necessary for agriculture and industry. All water bodies or ponds and lakes  They are very essential for domestic and agricultural purposes. These help in storing water and providing access to water. The dammed lakes also play an important role in generating electricity.

WWF-India Director Suresh Babu told The Weather Channel that the last few years have seen a slow onset of monsoon.  Weak monsoon was expected this year, but suddenly it started raining.  Things are going to create a very serious situation for the country.  In such a situation, the current condition of rivers is a very important issue of national interest which needs immediate action. 

How much water scarcity affects the sowing of cereals 

According to a 2019 report by NITI Aayog, about 74 per cent of the area under wheat cultivation and 65 per cent under rice cultivation will face severe water scarcity by 2030. 

To remove the problems of water in the budget "Piped water supply to all rural households by 2024" is. 

But the truth is also that due to monsoon it becomes difficult to plan India’s water budget. About 80% of the annual rainfall occurs between June and September, and the heaviest rainfall occurs for about 25 days during those months. This means that about one-seventh of the country is exposed to floods during the most intense periods of rain. 

How to overcome the shortage of drinking water 

According to the news published in BBC, Niti Aayog member Avinash Mishra says that the problem of water shortage in India is mostly related to improper management of available resources. We drain freshwater and water used in other water resources. Due to which sweet water is polluted  becomes. 

The Ministry of Jal Shakti (the government department that oversees water resources) is working with the World Bank on National Hydrology Projects (NHP). 

In the mid-1990s  Under this, two national plans were made. Now the government is working on making a third plan. Which is to be completed in March 2024. 

The first two projects were to meet water needs and collect data about India’s water resources. After this, measures had to be taken to overcome the shortage of water. But these projects had their limits. Therefore it could not be completed.

The Third Hydrology Project is an attempt to address those weaknesses.

Around 6,000 sensors are being installed across India to collect data on lakes, reservoirs and rivers. Apart from these, 1,600 sensors will track underground water. All mobile phones will be connected to the network and transmit real-time data, including water levels and weather conditions such as rainfall, humidity and air pressure. These initiatives are part of the National Hydrology Project.

According to the news published in the Times of India, JSA now covers all 740 districts of the country. Many states are also implementing it. States are also preparing a list of water bodies, which can be difficult to encroach upon in the name of building infrastructure or setting up industries. 

Experts are more concerned about policy deficiencies regarding water scarcity in the country. He says that there is awareness about the scarcity of water, but it will not be able to remove the scarcity of water on the scale that is needed. Water is a state subject and political tussle happens when it comes to sharing of water among other states. 

The current policy environment in the water sector is highly fragmented and is experiencing ‘hydro-schizophrenia’. There is no coordination between departments regarding surface and ground water, drinking water and irrigation water.