{"id":2481,"date":"2015-01-12T15:50:27","date_gmt":"2015-01-12T10:20:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/patriotsforumindia.com\/?p=2481"},"modified":"2015-01-12T15:20:40","modified_gmt":"2015-01-12T09:50:40","slug":"%e0%a4%ad%e0%a4%be%e0%a4%b0%e0%a4%a4-%e0%a4%95%e0%a5%80-%e0%a4%aa%e0%a4%be%e0%a4%a8%e0%a5%80-%e0%a4%95%e0%a5%80-%e0%a4%b6%e0%a5%80%e0%a4%98%e0%a5%8d%e0%a4%b0-%e0%a4%86%e0%a4%a8%e0%a5%87-%e0%a4%b5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/patriotsforumindia.com\/?p=2481","title":{"rendered":"\u092d\u093e\u0930\u0924 \u0915\u0940 \u092a\u093e\u0928\u0940 \u0915\u0940 \u0936\u0940\u0918\u094d\u0930 \u0906\u0928\u0947 \u0935\u093e\u0932\u0940 \u0938\u092e\u0938\u094d\u092f\u093e : Imminent Water Crisis For India : Nina Brooks"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u092d\u093e\u0930\u0924 \u0915\u0940 \u092a\u093e\u0928\u0940 \u0915\u0940 \u0936\u0940\u0918\u094d\u0930 \u0906\u0928\u0947 \u0935\u093e\u0932\u0940 \u0938\u092e\u0938\u094d\u092f\u093e : Imminent Water Crisis For India : Nina Brooks\"water<\/a><\/p>\n

\u092d\u093e\u0930\u0924 \u0915\u0940 \u092c\u0922\u0924\u0940 \u0939\u0941\u092f\u0940 \u0906\u092c\u093e\u0926\u0940 \u0915\u0940 \u0916\u093e\u0926\u094d\u092f\u093e\u0928\u094d\u0928 \u0935\u094d\u00a0\u0905\u0928\u094d\u092f \u00a0\u095b\u0930\u0942\u0930\u0924\u094b\u0902 \u0915\u0947 \u0932\u093f\u090f \u0936\u0940\u0918\u094d\u0930 \u0939\u0940 \u092d\u093e\u0930\u0924 \u092e\u0948\u0902 \u0924\u093e\u095b\u0947 \u092a\u093e\u0928\u0940 \u0915\u0940 \u0915\u092e\u0940 \u0939\u094b \u091c\u093e\u090f\u0917\u0940.\u00a0 \u0905\u092d\u0940 \u0939\u0940 \u0915\u0930\u094d\u0923\u093e\u091f\u0915 \u0935\u094d \u0924\u092e\u093f\u0932 \u0928\u093e\u0921\u0942 \u092e\u0948\u0902 \u092a\u093e\u0928\u0940 \u0915\u094b \u0932\u0947\u0915\u0930 \u0935\u093f\u0935\u093e\u0926 \u0938\u0930\u094d\u0935\u094b\u091a\u094d\u091a \u0928\u094d\u092f\u093e\u092f\u0932\u092f \u092e\u0948\u0902 \u092a\u0939\u0941\u0901\u091a \u091c\u093e\u0924\u093e \u0939\u0948. \u092a\u0902\u091c\u093e\u092c \u0938\u0924\u0932\u0941\u091c \u0935\u094d\u092f\u093e\u0938 \u0932\u093f\u0902\u0915 \u0928\u0939\u0930 \u092e\u0948\u0902 \u092a\u093e\u0928\u0940 \u0928\u0939\u0940\u0902 \u091b\u094b\u095c \u0930\u0939\u093e \u0939\u0948. \u0939\u0930\u092f\u093e\u0923\u093e \u0926\u093f\u0932\u094d\u0932\u0940 \u0915\u094b \u092a\u0940\u0928\u0947 \u0915\u093e \u092a\u093e\u0928\u0940 \u0926\u0947\u0928\u0947 \u092e\u0948\u0902 \u092e\u0941\u0936\u094d\u0915\u093f\u0932 \u0915\u0930 \u0930\u0939\u093e \u0939\u0948. \u0917\u0902\u0917\u093e \u092e\u0948\u0902 \u092a\u093e\u0928\u0940 \u0936\u0947\u0937 \u0928\u0939\u0940\u0902 \u0939\u0948. \u092f\u092e\u0941\u0928\u093e \u092e\u0925\u0941\u0930\u093e \u092a\u0930 \u090f\u0915 \u0928\u093e\u0932\u093e \u092e\u093e\u0924\u094d\u0930 \u0930\u0939 \u0917\u092f\u0940 \u0939\u0948.<\/p>\n

\"water<\/a>\u0910\u0938\u0947 \u092e\u0948\u0902 \u092a\u0902\u091c\u093e\u092c \u0915\u093e \u091f\u094d\u092f\u0942\u092c\u0935\u0947\u0932 \u0938\u0947 \u092c\u093e\u0938\u092e\u0924\u0940 \u0909\u0917\u093e\u0928\u093e \u092c\u0941\u0926\u094d\u0927\u093f\u092e\u0924\u094d\u0924\u093e \u0928\u0939\u0940\u0902 \u0939\u0948. \u091a\u093e\u0935\u0932 \u092e\u0948\u0902 \u0917\u0947\u0902\u0939\u0942\u0901 \u0938\u0947 \u0924\u093f\u0917\u0941\u0928\u093e \u092a\u093e\u0928\u0940 \u0932\u0917\u0924\u093e \u0939\u0948. \u091f\u094d\u092f\u0942\u092c \u0935\u0947\u0932 \u0915\u0947 \u092a\u093e\u0928\u0940 \u0938\u0947 \u091a\u093e\u0935\u0932 \u092a\u0948\u0926\u093e \u0915\u0930 \u0938\u0938\u094d\u0924\u0947 \u0926\u093e\u092e\u094b\u0902 \u092e\u0948\u0902 \u0928\u093f\u0930\u094d\u092f\u093e\u0924 \u0915\u0930\u0928\u093e \u0930\u093e\u0937\u094d\u091f\u094d\u0930\u0940\u092f \u0906\u0935\u0936\u094d\u092f\u0915\u0924\u093e \u0928\u0939\u0940\u0902 \u0939\u0948.\u00a0\u092a\u093e\u0915\u093f\u0938\u094d\u0924\u093e\u0928 \u0928\u0947 \u0915\u093f\u0938\u093e\u0928\u094b\u0902 \u0915\u0947 \u092e\u0928\u092e\u0930\u094d\u091c\u0940 \u092b\u0938\u0932 \u0909\u0917\u0928\u0947 \u092a\u0930 \u092a\u093e\u092c\u0928\u094d\u0926\u0940 \u0932\u0917\u093e \u0930\u0915\u094d\u0916\u0940\u00a0 \u0939\u0948.\u0935\u0939\u093e\u0902 \u092a\u0930 \u092a\u093e\u0928\u0940 \u0915\u093e \u0909\u092a\u092f\u094b\u0917 \u0938\u0930\u0915\u093e\u0930\u00a0 \u0928\u093f\u092f\u0902\u0924\u094d\u0930\u093f\u0924 \u0915\u0930\u0924\u0940 \u0939\u0948.<\/p>\n

\u0938\u092e\u092f \u0906 \u0917\u092f\u093e \u0939\u0948 \u0915\u0940 \u092d\u093e\u0930\u0924 \u0915\u094b \u092d\u0940 \u0915\u0941\u091b \u0915\u095c\u0947 \u092b\u0948\u0938\u0932\u0947 \u0932\u0947\u0928\u0947 \u091a\u093e\u0939\u093f\u090f.<\/p>\n

\u0915\u0943\u092a\u092f\u093e \u0932\u093f\u0902\u0915 \u092a\u0930 \u0915\u094d\u0932\u0940\u0915 \u0915\u0930 \u092a\u095d\u0947\u0902 \"water_crisis_india\"<\/a><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.arlingtoninstitute.org\/wbp\/global-water-crisis\/606<\/a>#<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Imminent Water Crisis in India<\/h1>\n
\n
\n

Imminent Water Crisis in India<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nina Brooks, August 2007<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“There will be constant competition over water, between farming families and urban dwellers, environmental conservationists and industrialists, minorities living off natural resources and entrepreneurs seeking to commodify the resources base for commercial gain”<\/p>\n

-UNICEF report on Indian water.[1]<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Intro\"water<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

More than two billion people worldwide live in regions facing water scarcity[2]<\/a> and in India this is a particularly acute crisis.\u00a0 Millions of Indians currently lack access to clean drinking water, and the situation is only getting worse. India\u2019s demand for water is growing at an alarming rate. India currently has the world\u2019s second largest population, which is expected to overtake China\u2019s by 2050 when it reaches a staggering 1.6 billion,[3]<\/a> putting increase strain on water resources as the number of people grows.\u00a0 A rapidly growing economy and a large agricultural sector stretch India\u2019s supply of water even thinner.\u00a0 Meanwhile, India\u2019s supply of water is rapidly dwindling due primarily to mismanagement of water resources, although over-pumping and pollution are also significant contributors.\u00a0 Climate change is expected to exacerbate the problem by causing erratic and unpredictable weather, which could drastically diminish the supply of water coming from rainfall and glaciers.\u00a0 As demand for potable water starts to outstrip supply by increasing amounts in coming years, India will face a slew of subsequent problems, such as food shortages, intrastate, and international conflict.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

India\u2019s water crisis is predominantly a manmade problem.\u00a0 India\u2019s climate is not particularly dry, nor is it lacking in rivers and groundwater.\u00a0 Extremely poor management, unclear laws, government corruption, and industrial and human waste have caused this water supply crunch and rendered what water is available practically useless due to the huge quantity of pollution.\u00a0 In managing water resources, the Indian government must balance competing demands between urban and rural, rich and poor, the economy and the environment.\u00a0 <\/strong>However, because people have triggered this crisis, by changing their actions they have the power to prevent water scarcity from devastating India\u2019s population, agriculture, and economy.\u00a0 This paper is an overview of the issues surrounding India\u2019s water scarcity: demand and supply, management, pollution, impact of climate change, and solutions the Indian government is considering.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I.\u00a0 Demand and Usage<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 2006 between the domestic, agricultural, and industrial sectors, India used approximately 829 billion cubic meters of water every year, which is approximately the size of Lake Erie. By 2050 demand is expected to double and consequently exceed the 1.4 trillion cubic meters of supply. [4]<\/a><\/p>\n

Figure 1: Water Demand by Sector<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Source: Earth Trends 2001, World Resources Institute<\/em><\/p>\n

Domestic<\/p>\n

India\u2019s 1.1 billion people need access to clean drinking water.\u00a0 The demand for drinking water is divided between the urban and rural populations, and comprises about 4-6% of total water demand.[5]<\/a>\u00a0 Due to the amenities of typical urban life, such as flush toilets and washing machines, people living in cities tend to lead more water intensive lives.\u00a0 The urban population has doubled over the past 30 years, now representing 30% of India\u2019s total population[6]<\/a> and is expected to reach 50% of the total population by 2025.[7]<\/a>\u00a0 Population growth is going to accelerate the water crisis in India, especially as more and more people move into the cities and become part of the middle class.\u00a0 Because the rivers are too polluted to drink and the government is unable to consistently deliver freshwater to the cities, many urban dwellers are turning to groundwater, which is greatly contributing to the depletion of underground aquifers.\u00a0 Rural citizens face a similar crisis.\u00a0 Currently 30% of the rural population lack access to drinking water, and of the 35 states in India, only 7 have full availability of drinking water for rural inhabitants.[8]<\/a>\u00a0 Most people who live in rural areas demand less water for day-to-day living than people living in cities, and the majority of their water demand comes from agricultural needs.<\/p>\n

Agricultural<\/p>\n

Despite the recent rapid growth in the services and industrial production, agriculture is still an integral part of India\u2019s economy and society.\u00a0 Between 1947 and 1967 India underwent the Green Revolution, which concentrated on expanding farm yields by double-cropping existing farmland and using seeds with improved genetics.[9]<\/a>\u00a0 The result was a huge increase in agricultural production, making India one of the world\u2019s biggest exporters of grain.\u00a0 The availability of canal water led farmers to adopt highly profitable, but extremely water intensive crops, such as sugar cane.[10]<\/a>\u00a0 In addition, India achieved its goal of obtaining food security.\u00a0 The rural economy sustains two-thirds of India’s 1.1 billion citizens.[11]<\/a>\u00a0 Unfortunately, this huge surge in agriculture, required significant water resources for irrigation and accelerated the onset of present water shortages.<\/p>\n

India\u2019s agricultural sector currently uses about 90% of total water resources.[12]<\/a>\u00a0 Irrigated agriculture has been fundamental to economic development, but unfortunately caused groundwater depletion.\u00a0 Due to water pollution in rivers, India draws 80% of its irrigation water from groundwater.[13]<\/a>\u00a0 As water scarcity becomes a bigger and bigger problem, rural and farming areas will most likely be hit the hardest.\u00a0 Thus far, food security has been one of the highest priorities for politicians, and the large farming lobby has grown accustomed to cheap electricity, which allows extremely fast pumping of groundwater, which\u00a0 is something they are unwilling to give up for the sake of water conservation.\u00a0 If India wants to maintain its level of food security, farmers will have to switch to less water intensive crops. Otherwise India will end up being a net importer of food, which would have massive ramifications for the global price of grain.<\/p>\n

Industrial<\/p>\n

Water is both an important input for many different manufacturing and industrial sectors and used as a coolant for machines, such as textile machines. Cheap water that can be rapidly pumped from underground aquifers has been a major factor in the success of India\u2019s economic growth.\u00a0 For example, the garment industry in Tirupur, a city in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, was growing faster than anyone thought possible for several decades. By 1990\u2019s, however, the town was running out of water, which is a critical input for dyeing and bleaching.[14]<\/a>\u00a0 Despite the many benefits from a thriving economy, industrial waste is largely responsible for the high levels of pollutants found in India\u2019s rivers and groundwater. Many corporations end up polluting the very water they later need as an input.\u00a0 According to the Ministry of Water Resources, industrial water use in India stands at about 50 billion cubic meters or nearly 6 per cent of total freshwater abstraction.[15]<\/a> This demand is expected to increase dramatically in the next decade, given the enormous forecasts of 9% growth for 2007 alone.[16]<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

II. Supply<\/strong><\/p>\n

Surface water and groundwater are the sources of India\u2019s water supply.\u00a0 Other sources, such as desalination, are negligible because they are not cost effective.<\/p>\n

Figure 2: Surface Water, Groundwater Over Time<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Source: World Bank Report on Water in India<\/em> Surface Water The main rivers, the Ganges, Bramhaputra, Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri, Indus, Narmada, and Tapti, flow into the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea.\u00a0 They can be classified into four groups: Himalayan, coastal, peninsular, and inland drainage basins.\u00a0 The Himalayan rivers, such as the Ganges, are formed by melting snow and glaciers and therefore have a continuous flow throughout the year. The Himalayas contain the largest store of fresh water outside the polar ice caps, and feed seven great Asian rivers.[17]<\/a>\u00a0 This region receives very heavy rainfall during the monsoon period, causing the rivers to swell and flood.\u00a0 The coastal rivers, the Bramhaputra and the Krishna, especially on the west coast, are short in length with small catchment areas.\u00a0 The peninsular rivers, which include the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri, flow inland and also greatly increase in volume during the monsoon season.\u00a0 Finally, the rivers of the inland drainage basin, such as the Mahanadi and the Godavari, dry out as they drain towards the silt lakes such as the Sambhar, or are lost in the sands. [18]<\/a> India receives an average of 4,000 billion cubic meters of rainfall every year.\u00a0 Unfortunately, only 48% of rainfall ends up in India\u2019s rivers.\u00a0 Due to lack of storage and crumbling infrastructure, only 18% can be utilized.[19]<\/a>\u00a0 Rainfall is confined to the monsoon season, June through September, when India gets, on average, 75% of its total annual precipitation.\u00a0\u00a0 Once again, due to India\u2019s storage crunch the government is unable to store surplus water for the dry season.\u00a0 Such uneven seasonal distribution of rainfall has not stimulated the development of better capturing and storing infrastructure, making water scarcity an unnecessary yet critical problem.<\/p>\n

Groundwater<\/p>\n

Groundwater is the major source of drinking water in both urban and rural India. It is also an important source of water for the agricultural and the industrial sectors.\u00a0 India possesses about 432 bcm of groundwater replenished yearly from rain and river drainage, but only 395 bcm are utilizable.\u00a0 Of that 395 bcm, 82% goes to irrigation and agricultural purposes, while only 18% is divided between domestic and industrial.[20]<\/a>\u00a0 Total static groundwater available is approximately 10,812 bcm.[21]<\/a><\/p>\n

Groundwater is increasingly being pumped from lower and lower levels and much faster than rainfall is able to replenish it.\u00a0 The average groundwater recharge rates of India\u2019s river basins is 260 m3\/day.[22]<\/a>\u00a0 The Delhi Jal Board, which is responsible for supplying potable water, estimates that water tables are dipping by an average of .4 meters a year.[23]<\/a>\u00a0 In addition, the human, agricultural, and industrial waste that pollute India\u2019s rivers seep into the ground, thus contaminating the groundwater.\u00a0 Groundwater crisis is not the result of natural factors; it has been caused by human actions. During the past two decades, the water level in several parts of the country has been falling rapidly due to an increase in extraction. The number of wells drilled for irrigation of both food and cash crops have rapidly and indiscriminately increased.[24]<\/a><\/p>\n

Figure 3: Utilizable water, demand, and available water<\/em> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \\s\u00a0\u00a0 Source: World Bank Report on Water in India<\/em><\/p>\n

III. Climate Change<\/strong><\/p>\n

Climate change is exacerbating the depleting supply of water.\u00a0 As the climate warms, glaciers in the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau have been melting.\u00a0 According to the IPCC, global temperatures have warmed by .76 Celsius over the last 100 years.[25]<\/a>\u00a0 This will result in increased flooding initially, especially during the monsoon season when rainfall is already at its heaviest.\u00a0 However, in subsequent years, there will be less and less glacial meltwater to continuously supply India\u2019s rivers.\u00a0 Nearly 70% of discharge to the River Ganges comes from Nepalese snow-fed rivers, which means that if Himalayan glaciers dry up, so could the Ganges.[26]<\/a>\u00a0 The Ganges has numerous tributary rivers which supply water to hundreds of millions of people across India.\u00a0 Therefore, if the Ganges even partly dried up, it would have drastic consequences for a huge population.\u00a0 The glaciers, which regulate the water supply to the Ganges, Indus, Brahmaputra, Mekong, Thanlwin, Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, are believed to be retreating at a rate of about 33-49ft each year.[27]<\/a><\/p>\n

Climate change also has an effect on rainfall patterns, but, how it will affect them is still uncertain. Nonetheless, scientists agree that climate change will ultimately make rainfall more erratic and cause unpredictable weather.\u00a0 Many believe the increased average water temperate in oceans, will increase the probability and intensity of monsoons during the summer.[28]<\/a> As one of the world\u2019s largest emitters of greenhouse gases, India contributes significantly to global warming, but is not required under the Kyoto Protocol to reduce its emissions because it is a developing country. [29]<\/a> This is yet another regrettable example of how India sacrifices its environment and its future supply of resources for economic growth.<\/p>\n

IV. Water Management<\/strong><\/p>\n

The tragedy of India\u2019s water scarcity is that the crisis could have been largely avoided with better water management practices.\u00a0 There has been a distinct lack of attention to water legislation, water conservation, efficiency in water use, water recycling, and infrastructure.\u00a0 Historically water has been viewed as an unlimited resource that did not need to be managed as a scarce commodity or provided as a basic human right.\u00a0 These attitudes are changing in India; there is a growing desire for decentralized management developing, which would allow local municipalities to control water as best needed for their particular region.<\/p>\n

Since independence India\u2019s primary goals have been economic growth and food security, completely disregarding water conservation.\u00a0 This has caused serious ramifications being felt today, as many citizens still operate under these principles.\u00a0 Unlike many other developing countries, especially those with acute water scarcity issues such as China, Indian law has virtually no legislation on groundwater. Anyone can extract water: homeowner, farmer or industry as long as the water lies underneath their plot of land.[30]<\/a>\u00a0 The development and distribution of cheap electricity and electric pumps have triggered rapid pumping of groundwater and subsequent depletion of aquifers.\u00a0 There are approximately 20 million individual wells in India that are contributing to groundwater depletion.[31]<\/a>\u00a0 The owners of these wells do not have to pay for this water, so there is no incentive to conserve or recycle it; in fact they are incentivized to overdraw resources.\u00a0 Generally, the more water they use, the more they can produce.\u00a0 Industry applies the same logic, and rather than reusing the water used for cooling machines, they dump it back into rivers and canals, along with the pollution it has accumulated. Even Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has warned against over-pumping, but local officials won\u2019t take any action, such as raising electricity tariffs, that would upset the huge farm lobbies.[32]<\/a>\u00a0 India needs to keep boosting agricultural production in order to feed its growing population, but to do so without jeopardizing the amount of water available, farmers must switch to less water intensive crops.<\/p>\n

The central government in India also lacks the ability to store and deliver potable water to its citizens, especially as supply shrinks.\u00a0 There is currently a water storage crunch, because means for storage, such as temple tanks and steep wells, have fallen apart. China is able to store 5 times as much water per person as India[33]<\/a>, making it blatantly clear how poor India\u2019s water management is. The government claims that 9 out of 10 people have access to water.\u00a0 Yet, even if this were factual, it disregards the fact that almost of all of that water is too contaminated to use.[34]<\/a> None of the 35 Indian cities with a population of more than one million distribute water for more than a few hours per day.[35]<\/a> The water situation in the capital, New Delhi, is typical of most cities in India, in that New Delhi does not lack water, merely good infrastructure.<\/p>\n

New Delhi demands 36 million cubic meters of water per day.\u00a0 The New Delhi Jal Board supplies just over 30 million cubic meters per day, but only 17 million cubic meters actually reach consumers due to infrastructure problems, such as leaking pipes.[36]<\/a> The government has avoided proper maintenance of pipes and canals, which is now causing major inefficiencies in water use.\u00a0 As New Delhi\u2019s water supply runs through 5,600 miles of pipes, up to 40% leaks out.[37]<\/a> The Jal Board sends tankers to New Delhi with water that people have to wait in long lines to get, and what they receive is of questionable quality.\u00a0 Rather than fixing the pipelines, the government is falling back on these tankers, which is an expensive and inefficient method of delivering water to its citizens.\u00a0 Despite these feeble attempts, 27% of homes in New Delhi receive tap water for less than 3 hours a day.[38]<\/a>\u00a0 As a result of the government\u2019s inability to provide adequate water, private water suppliers, which charge exorbitant prices, have spring up and people have begun to dig neighborhood wells, depleting groundwater even further.<\/p>\n

V. Pollution<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Given that India does not regulate water usage, it should come as no surprise that there is also little regulation on pollution and even less enforcement of what regulations do exist.\u00a0 Millions have been spent on pollution clean-up, but no one knows where it went (most likely into the pockets of corrupt government officials) because no changes have been seen.\u00a0 In 2005, a government audit indicted the Jal Board for having spent $200 million on pollution clean-up achieving essentially no tangible results.[39]<\/a> A combination of sewage disposal, industrial effluents, chemicals from farm runoffs, arsenic and fluoride has rendered India\u2019s rivers unfit for drinking, irrigation, and even industrial purposes.[40]<\/a><\/p>\n

New Delhi alone produces 3.6 million cubic meters of sewage every day, but, due to poor management less than half is effectively treated. The remaining untreated waste is dumped into the Yamuna River.\u00a0 New Delhi actually cannot get rid of the sewage it produces because 45% of the population is not connected to the public sewage system.[41]<\/a>\u00a0 Meanwhile, the quantity of sewage is constantly increasing due to population growth.\u00a0 Those not connected to sewage lines end up dumping their waste into canals, which empty into a storm drain that runs into the Yamuna, dumping all of the waste into the river.\u00a0 When the water reaches downstream cities they have to heavily treat it, which subsequently drives up the cost.<\/p>\n

Every river in India is polluted to some degree.\u00a0\u00a0 The water quality in underground wells violates the desired levels of dissolved oxygen and coliform, the presence of which is one measure of filth, in addition to having high concentrations of toxic metals, fluoride, and nitrates.[42]<\/a>\u00a0 India\u2019s rivers also have high fluoride content (see Figure 4<\/em>), beyond the permissible limit of 1.5ppm, which affects 66 million people.\u00a0 The polluted water then seeps into the groundwater and contaminates agricultural products when used for irrigation.\u00a0 Over 21% of transmissible diseases in India are related to unsafe water. [43]<\/a> Millions of the poorest are affected by preventable diseases caused by inadequate water supply and sanitation.<\/p>\n

Figure 4: Fluoride Pollution<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Source: WHO<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Solutions<\/strong><\/p>\n

An immediate solution to India\u2019s water crisis is to change water management practices by regulating usage with effective legislation.\u00a0 However, as previously mentioned, there is significant opposition to raising electricity tariffs, and there would most likely be even more resistance to enacting tariffs on water itself.<\/p>\n

Another proposed solution to the water crisis is the privatization of water.\u00a0 Proponents claim that a privatized water supply would prevent waste, improve efficiency, and encourage innovation. The World Bank supports a policy of privatized water in India, claiming that water could be supplied to all of India\u2019s inhabitants, but at a higher cost.[44]<\/a>\u00a0 Many people vehemently oppose this plan arguing that it will not only exacerbate poverty, but also that privatization does not have a good track record around the world.<\/p>\n

India is also considering large-scale engineering projects, similar to those adopted in China, such as the South-to-North Water Diversion Project. However, as India is the world\u2019s largest democracy, such projects have been extremely difficult to pass because they are controversial and have stirred lots of debate and much resistance.\u00a0 The most talked about project is the $112 billion Interlinking of Rivers project.\u00a0 The ILR was approved by the president in 2002 and is due to be completed in 2016. This project will link all 37 rivers by thousands of miles of canals and dozens of large dams.[45]<\/a>\u00a0 This project is intended to increase the amount of water available for irrigation and would add 34,000mw of hydropower to the national pool.[46]<\/a>\u00a0 Civil society organizations and traditional water managers have dismissed the ILR because it has the potential for stirring international conflicts, by reducing the water that flows to bordering countries, such as Bangladesh.\u00a0 In addition, ILR is expensive, will most likely face the same fate as India\u2019s dams: broken and inefficient due to lack of maintenance and reinvestment.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Indian government is already trying to get states to start rainwater harvesting in order to more efficiently tap into the huge quantity of monsoon rain.\u00a0 Collection of rainwater recharges water tables, allows easier accessibility to water resources, and increases availability for irrigation throughout the year leads to improved village.[47]<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n

India is facing a looming water crisis that has implications not only for its 1.1 billion people, but for the entire globe.\u00a0 India\u2019s demand for water is growing even as it stretches its supplies.\u00a0 Water infrastructure is crumbling, preventing the government from being able to supply drinking water to its citizens.\u00a0 Pollution is rampant due to unfettered economic growth, poor waste management laws and practices.\u00a0 Although many analysts believe that demand will outstrip supply by 2020[48]<\/a>, there is still hope for India.\u00a0 Water scarcity in India is predominantly a manmade problem; therefore if India makes significant changes in the way it thinks about water and manages its resources soon, it could ward off, or at least mollify, the impending crisis.\u00a0 India has had success with water infrastructure development, which allowed the country to take advantage of its water resources in the first place and achieve food security. These projects did enable the expansion of urban and industrial sectors and increased availability of safe drinking water, but then they were allowed to dilapidate.\u00a0 India needs to make water supply a national priority the way it has made food security and economic growth priorities in the past.\u00a0 India\u2019s need for a comprehensive management program is so severe because of its rapidly depleting water supply, environmental problems, and growing population. If the country continues with a business as usual mentality the consequences will be drastic.\u00a0 India will see a sharp decrease in agricultural production, which will negate all of the previous efforts at food security. India will become a net importer of grain, which will have a huge effect of global food prices, as well as the global supply of food.\u00a0 A rise in food prices will aggravate the already widespread poverty when people have to spend larger portions of their income on food.\u00a0 In addition to devastating the agricultural sector of India\u2019s economy, the water crisis will have a big effect on India\u2019s industrial sector, possibly stagnating many industries.\u00a0 Finally, India could become the stage for major international water wars because so many rivers that originate in India supply water to other countries.\u00a0 India has the power to avoid this dark future if people take action immediately: start conserving water, begin to harvest rainwater, treat human, agricultural, and industrial waste effectively, and regulate how much water can be drawn out of the ground.<\/p>\n

This article may be copied or reprinted for noncommercial purposes as long as proper citation standards are observed.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

[1]<\/a> Giridharadas, Anand.\u00a0 \u201cWater-scarce India, too, Weighs a Return to Ancient Practices.\u201d\u00a0 International Herald Tribune<\/em>, 20 Aug 2005<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[2]<\/strong><\/strong><\/a>Dugger, Celia. \u201cNeed for Water Could Double In 50 Years, U.N. Study Finds.\u201d New York Times, <\/em>August 22, 2006<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[3]<\/a>\u201cIndia\u2019s Population Set to be Biggest\u201d, http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/2\/hi\/3575994.stm<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[4]<\/a> Somini Sengupta. \u201cIn Teeming India, Water Crisis Means Dry Pipes and Foul Sludge.\u201d New York Times<\/em>, September 29, 2006<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[5]<\/a> India: Water Supply and Sanitation \u2013 UNICEF Study (2002), 29<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[6]<\/a> World Bank Report, India\u2019s Water Economy: Bracing for a Turbulent Future (2005), http:\/\/www.worldbank.org.in\/WBSITE\/EXTERNAL\/COUNTRIES\/SOUTHASIAEXT\/INDIAEXTN\/0,,contentMDK:20668501~pagePK:141137~piPK:141127~theSitePK:295584,00.html<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[7]<\/a> \u201cIndia\u2019s Population to Reach 1.5 Billion by 2025\u201d http:\/\/www.dnaindia.com\/report.asp?NewsID=1109284<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[8]<\/a> India: Water Supply and Sanitation \u2013 UNICEF Study (2002), 31<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[9]<\/a> http:\/\/indiaonestop.com\/Greenrevolution.htm<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[10]<\/a> Tribune, India: The Tasks Ahead, http:\/\/www.tribuneindia.com\/2005\/specials\/tribune_125\/main15.htm<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[11]<\/a> Giridharadas, Anand.\u00a0 \u201cWater-scarce India, too, Weighs a Return to Ancient Practices.\u201d\u00a0 International Herald Tribune<\/em>, 20 Aug 2005, http:\/\/www.iht.com\/articles\/2005\/08\/19\/news\/rswatind.php<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[12]<\/a> India: Water Supply and Sanitation \u2013 UNICEF Study (2002), 29<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[13]<\/a> World Bank Report, India\u2019s Water Economy: Bracing for a Turbulent Future (2005), http:\/\/www.worldbank.org.in\/WBSITE\/EXTERNAL\/COUNTRIES\/SOUTHASIAEXT\/INDIAEXTN\/0,,contentMDK:20668501~pagePK:141137~piPK:141127~theSitePK:295584,00.html<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[14]<\/a> \u201cA Water Revoultion Fuels Industry\u201d, USAID (2006)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[15]<\/a> \u201cIt Isn\u2019t Agriculture.\u201d Center for Science and the Environment, http:\/\/www.cseindia.org\/dte-supplement\/industry20040215\/agriculture.htm<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[16]<\/a> \u201cIndia Economy to Grow at 9% This Year,\u201d CNBC News, 16 July 2007, http:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/id\/19792491<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[17]<\/a> \u201cHimalayan Glacier\u2019s Melting Fast.\u201d\u00a0 BBC News, <\/em>14 March 2005, http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/2\/hi\/science\/nature\/4346211.stm<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[18]<\/a> http:\/\/www.fao.org\/ag\/agl\/aglw\/aquastat\/countries\/india\/index.stm<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[19]<\/a> India: Water Supply and Sanitation \u2013 UNICEF Study (2002), 29<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[20]<\/a> Ibid.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[21]<\/a> Ibid.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[22]<\/a> Sakthivadivel, Ramaswamay.\u00a0 \u201cThe Groundwater Recharge Movement in India.\u201d\u00a0 The Agricultural Groundwater Revolution: Opportunities and Threats.\u00a0 Ed. Mark Giordano and Karen G. Villholth. CAB International: 2007.\u00a0 195-210<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[23]<\/a>Ramachandran, Asha. \u201cAny Hope for India\u2019s Water Woes,\u201d India\/Kerala News, 2006 <\/em>http:\/\/www.greentreks.org\/woodchuckcafe\/features\/feature_indiaswater.asp<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[24]<\/a> World Bank Report, India\u2019s Water Economy: Bracing for a Turbulent Future (2005), http:\/\/www.worldbank.org.in\/WBSITE\/EXTERNAL\/COUNTRIES\/SOUTHASIAEXT\/INDIAEXTN\/0,,contentMDK:20668501~pagePK:141137~piPK:141127~theSitePK:295584,00.html<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[25]<\/a> Summary for Policymakers. In: Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Solomon, S., D. Qin, M. Manning, Z. Chen, M. Marquis, K.B. Averyt, M.Tignor and H.L. Miller (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA.pg. 5<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[26]<\/a> Navin Singh Khadka, \u201cHimalayan Melting Risk Surveyed.\u201d BBC News, Kathmandu<\/em>, 5 March 2006, http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/2\/hi\/science\/nature\/4762576.stm<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[27]<\/a> \u201cHimalayan Glacier\u2019s Melting Fast.\u201d\u00a0 BBC News, <\/em>14 March 2005, http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/2\/hi\/science\/nature\/4346211.stm<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[28]<\/a> World Bank Report, India\u2019s Water Economy: Bracing for a Turbulent Future (2005), http:\/\/www.worldbank.org.in\/WBSITE\/EXTERNAL\/COUNTRIES\/SOUTHASIAEXT\/INDIAEXTN\/0,,contentMDK:20668501~pagePK:141137~piPK:141127~theSitePK:295584,00.html<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[29]<\/a> Bhalla, Nita. \u201cIndia Says Its Carbob Emissions Not Harming World.\u201d Reuters, 14 December 2006, http:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/scienceNews\/idUSDEL7398420061214<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[30]<\/a> Somini Sengupta. \u201cIndia Digs Deeper, but Wells Are Drying Up.\u201d New York Times<\/em>, September 30, 2006<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u092d\u093e\u0930\u0924 \u0915\u0940 \u092a\u093e\u0928\u0940 \u0915\u0940 \u0936\u0940\u0918\u094d\u0930 \u0906\u0928\u0947 \u0935\u093e\u0932\u0940 \u0938\u092e\u0938\u094d\u092f\u093e : Imminent Water Crisis For India :… more »<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2482,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2481","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles-2","category-economy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/patriotsforumindia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2481","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/patriotsforumindia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/patriotsforumindia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/patriotsforumindia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/patriotsforumindia.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2481"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/patriotsforumindia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2481\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6141,"href":"https:\/\/patriotsforumindia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2481\/revisions\/6141"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/patriotsforumindia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2482"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/patriotsforumindia.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2481"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/patriotsforumindia.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2481"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/patriotsforumindia.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2481"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}