Droughts are becoming more frequent, creating severe problems, mainly because approx. The average rainfall received in India is around 1170 mm, which results in annual precipitation of about 4000 BCM (Billion Cubic Metre). Sickness and the time lost fetching it robs entire communities of their futures. This is indicating the change in the situation and alarming environmental change. Learn about the water crisis facing India and its effects on women in particular. No single action whether community based, legislation, traditional water harvesting systems, or reliance on market forces will in itself alleviate the crisis in India. India is one of the world’s most water-stressed countries. India's Water Crisis Is Becoming a Problem for Modi India’s 1.3 billion people only have access to about 4% of the world’s water. 'Water stress is the biggest crisis no one is talking about,' said President and CEO of the World Resources Institute India is now facing a water stressed situation. India, ranked 13 on Aqueduct's list of 'extremely highly' water stressed countries. They must ensure a timely, leak-proof and safe water supply rather than promising 24 hours supply based on nothing. 76 million are without access to safe drinking water 21% of country’s diseases are water related 1; Over 329, 000 children under five die due to diarrhoea in India in 2015 2 53% of Agriculture in India is rainfed. In fact, it is considered the center of the global water and sanitation crisis. The water crisis has been spreading rapidly across the country, while the government grapples to find solutions. The Niti Aayog database says 54% of wells in India are declining in level due to unsustainable withdrawals for irrigation. As per the NITI Aayog report by 2030, India’s water demand is going be doubled from the available supply. By continuing, you agree to the terms of our, India has taken significant steps to reduce poverty, availability and quality of municipal drinking water, 21% of the country's diseases are water-related, lack overall long-term availability of replenishable water resources, water system adds to the overall depletion of water, attributed to lack of government planning, increased corporate privatization, industrial and human waste and government corruption, India are fortunate to have a relatively wet climate, Children in 100 million homes in the country lack water, Environmental justice needs to be restored to India. It is a situation where the available potable, unpolluted water within a region is less than that region’s demand. Whatever the means, India needs solutions now. … Children often bear the burden of walking miles each day to find water in streams and ponds. 600 million people are dealing with high to extreme water shortage. The localized water conservation effort is the right solution that can easily supply water to the nearby local population. As things stand, it forecasts that 21 cities, including Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad, will run out of groundwater by 2020; also, 40% of our citizens will have no access to drinking water by 2030. Careless and overexploitation of naturally available water resources. Women fetch water from an opening made to filter water next to a polluted lake in Thane, India June 13, 2019. India’s water crisis is now official. Saving water is very important if we want life to be available on the earth because the amount of water is getting reduced daily and, in a few years, life on earth will become very difficult due to the lesser amount of water. India is suffering from one of the world’s worst national water crises. The Water Project is a 501(c)(3) non-profit international water charity, We use cookies on our website to personalize your experience and improve our efforts. Regardless of improvements to drinking water, many other water sources are contaminated with both bio and chemical pollutants, and over 21% of the country's diseases are water-related. According to the Composite Water Management Index (CWMI), a document released by the NITI Aayog in 2018, 21 major cities (Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and others) are racing to reach zero groundwater levels by 2020, affecting access for 100 million people. With a diverse population that is three times the size of the United States but one-third the physical size, India has the second largest population in the world. With the planets second largest population at 1.3 billion, and expectant growth to 1.7 billion by 2050, India finds itself unable to serve the vast majority of that populace with safe, clean water. Lack of access to water and sanitation are multi-faceted issues in India: while city infrastructure cannot keep up with population growth, in rural areas groundwater depletion is a main concern. Although India has made improvements over the past decades to both the availability and quality of municipal drinking water systems, its large population has stressed planned water resources and rural areas are left out. ... One example of The Water Project's work in India is the well built for the Eva Marie Girl's School. Then consider that India only possesses 4% of the world’s fres… 05 Nov, 2020, 12.16 PM IST Rising water crisis forces Indian farmers to rethink their crops selection About 75% of India’s households do not have drinking water at home, 84% of our rural households do not have piped water supply, and 70% of India’s water is contaminated which is not fit for use. Read about some of the causes and the differences found from one part of India to another. A committee set up by the ministry of environment and forests said hydel projects in Uttarakhand aggravated the June 2013 disaster. Mismanagement in the demand and supply of the water requirements. In recent times, the water crisis in India has become very critical, affecting millions of people across India. In these areas, rain harvesting could be one solution for water collection. India is seriously facing a sustained water crisis. There is no easy answer for India which must tap into water sources for food and human sustenance, but India's overall water availability is running dry. On a positive note, some areas of India are fortunate to have a relatively wet climate, even in the most arid regions. This availability has gone down in the subsequent decades. India, at present, is just below that. Careless and overexploitation of naturally available water resources. Globally, the standard for water-stress situation is 1700 cubic metres of availability of water per person. Water crisis can be a result of the following reasons. About 17% of Indian cities and towns are hard pressed for water. Excessive demand coupled with mismanaged water resources, erratic … Children in 100 million homes in the country lack water, and one out of every two children are malnourished. According to the NITI Aayog, 600 million Indians face high to extreme water stress, and about 0.2 million people die every year due to inadequate access to safe water. By 2030, India’s water demand is going to be twice the available supply. The government of India must concentrate on managing demand. This will also recharge the groundwater levels. All this will ultimately pave the way for combining conservation of the environment with the basic needs of … An average of 200,000 Indian lives is lost every year due to inadequate supply or contamination of water. India is suffering from “the worst water crisis” in its history, with about 60 crore people facing high to extreme water stress and about 2 lakh people dying every year due to inadequate access to safe water, the Niti Aayog said in a report on Thursday. The Indian States are continuously facing issues of the waters of the Narmada in the Midwest, the Yamuna in the North, and the Cauvery in the South. In addition, rapid growth in India's urban areas has stretched government solutions, which have been compromised by over-privatization. The Economic Survey 2017-18 acknowledged India’s water crisis and explained the triggers, including rapid groundwater depletion, the decline in average rainfall and increasing dry monsoon days, The Times Of India reported on 21 June. It is necessary to work towards solutions and help prevent the crisis Hence, change in the climate is one the important factor for the water crisis. It is expected that 21 cities in India will run out of groundwater in the next couple of years. This is indicating a severe water scarcity situation for hundreds of millions of people in the coming years and an eventual 6% loss in the country’s GDP. In addition, water scarcity in India is expected to worsen as the overall population is expected to increase to 1.6 billion by year 2050. In the south there are the Krishna, Godavari, Cauvery, Tamaraparani, Perilya and other rivers. According to the NITI Aayog report, India’s water crisis is direr than imagined which can be understood by the following facts: It’s high time for India to declare a water emergency. While India's aquifers are currently associated with replenishing sources, the country is also a major grain producer with a great need for water to support the commodity. Unprecedented heat waves, which can become more persistent with climate change. Mercom had earlier reported that India is suffering from the worst water crisis in its history, and millions of lives are at risk. Supporting 16% of the world's occupants is sufficiently overwhelming, yet it is significantly more so while perceiving that population is packed into a territory 33% the measure of the United States. In addition, water scarcity in India is expected to worsen as the overall population is expected to increase to 1.6 billion by year 2050. Controlling the water consumption at irrigation level is the most important factor as it consumes 85% of groundwater without inflicting food security of the country. Water literacy at the national level should be the primary focus, which has not been seriously done so far. Absolute reasons – Due to inadequate natural water resources to supply a region’s demand. India's water security crisis: Dams, pollution and climate change biggest threats facing Himalayan rivers 05 Jul, 2015, 10.28 AM IST. India is not yet facing that situation which is globally called as water-scarcity situation. Supporting 16% of the world’s inhabitants is daunting enough, but it is even more so when recognizing that population is crammed into an area one-third the size of the United States. As of June 25, 2019, nearly 65 percent of the country’s reservoirs were running dry. About 100 million people across India are on the front lines of a nationwide water crisis. With this, India has currently been ranked 120 among 122 countries in the water quality index. After two consecutive years of weak monsoons, 330 million people — a quarter of the country’s population — are affected by a severe drought. Photo: Reuters/Prashant Waydande. India’s availability of water at present is 1700 cubic ft per person, which was 5000 cubic ft per person at the time of independence. About 26% of India’s population practices open defecation, a critical factor contributing to water-borne illness, stunting, and death. Water crisis in India Despite water being an existential need for humans, it’s also one of the most under prioritized but over abused commodity. 1 in 10 people in India do not have access to a safe source of drinking water Today, we reel under the worst water crisis ever. This situation changes as per the variation in rainfall every year. Reduced pre-monsoon rain, due to weather variation. India is facing its worst-ever water crisis, with some 600 million people facing acute water shortage, a government think-tank says. In 2019, people of Bihar and Assam faced severe flooding, while people of large parts of Jharkhand and West Bengal are facing drought-like conditions. below 1700 cubic meters per capita per annum. At that point think about that India just has 4% of … With the planets second biggest population at 1.3 billion, and anticipating an increase to 1.7 billion by 2050, India gets itself powerless to serve by far most of that masses with safe, clean water. If a country like India has only about 1700 cu. About 12% of India’s population is already living the ‘Day Zero’ scenario. Water scarcity is a huge problem all around the world, and a lot of people are suffering from water crisis in India as well.. At the time of independence, the water availability in India was around 5,000 cubic meters per capita per annum, which was higher than required. Clean hands require Soap AND Water - Respond With Us to COVID-19 ». Furthermore, only 33% of the country has access to traditional sanitation. The government needs to spread awareness about recycling, reusing and conservation of water. The government of India needs to launch an aggressive program of the nature-based solution, ecological restoration, ideally to build resilience and generate livelihoods. India has just 4% of the world’s fresh water — but 16% of the global population. The effective answer to the freshwater crisis is to integrate conservation and development activities – from water extraction to water management – at the local level; making communities aware and involving them fully is therefore critical for success. Groundwater in … India is facing a fresh water crisis. And the crisis is only going to get worse. Rapid deforestation is also one of the important factors in the water crisis. One of the worst affected areas has been the west-central state of Maharashtra, where six of the 17 reservoirs are dried out. This includes heavily populated metro cities like Delhi and Bengaluru. The COVID-19 is further exacerbating the existing water crisis in the country. India's water crisis is often attributed to lack of government planning, increased corporate privatization, industrial and human waste and government corruption. Demographic reasons ­­­– ­­­­­Due to ever-rising population and related modernization, the demand for water is rising. The government’s own think tank the National Institution for the Transformation of India (NITI) Aayog – successor to the country’s Planning Commission – says 600 million Indians face high-to-extreme water stress.. According to UNICEF, due to waterborne diseases, India is facing an economic burden of approximately $600 million per year. It is high time to introduce special models on water saving, conservation and utilization – starting in school. However, any water system adds to the overall depletion of water. Motivating various NGO’s working in the field of water conservation. Economic reasons – Due to poor management of the available water resources. meters water per person per year, it will experience only occasional or local water distress. The interlinking of rivers is important for water conservation and proper management of water resources in the country. Change in the land use patterns has a significant impact on water availability. Environmental justice needs to be restored to India so that families can raise their children with dignity, and providing water to communities is one such way to best ensure that chance. As with all countries with large agricultural output, excess water consumption for food production depletes the overall water table. The government needs to educate the public on proper uses of water and people also need to concern themselves about the dangers of wasting water. India is the world’s biggest groundwater extractor. India's water crisis is often attributed to lack of government planning, increased corporate privatization, industrial and human waste and government corruption. India needs to take the following steps for handling this water crisis: -, UPSC Syllabus 2021: Download IAS Syllabus PDF in Hindi & English, UPSC Study Material: Complete Notes for Prelims Exam in Hindi & English [Free], UPSC IAS Prelims Answer Key 2020: Download SET A, B, C & D Answer Key PDF, UPSC IAS Prelims Exam Analysis 2020 (Paper 1 & 2): Expected Cut Off, Question Paper PDF. Extreme demand, coupled with poorly managed water resources, subtle climate patterns and climate change, have led to a sad state of affairs. Inter-State disputes over the water issue have been raising now, with 7 major disputes are seen right now. India is facing one of its major and most serious water crisis. One concern is that India may lack overall long-term availability of replenishable water resources. Collected water can be immediately used for agriculture, and with improved filtration practices to reduce water-borne pathogens, also quickly available for human consumption. India is the second most populous country in the world, with more than 1 billion citizens. India holds about 4% of global freshwater and 16% of its population, which is inadequate for use. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) declared, October 2018 as the driest month for the country since 1976. According to the World Bank, India has taken significant steps to reduce poverty but the number of people who live in poverty is still highly disproportionate to the number of people who are middle-income, with a combined rate of over 52% of both rural and urban poor. This will be implying severe water scarcity for hundreds of millions and an eventual loss of around 6% of the country’s GDP by 2050. However, with no rain catchment programs in place, most of the water is displaced or dried up instead of used. New Delhi (CNN) The world's second-most populous country is running out of water. To that end, global water scarcity is expected to become a leading cause of national political conflict in the future, and the prognosis for India is no different. Presently India is facing water crisis in many parts of the country as the water availability is even below the global average, e.g. India suffers from water shortage for cultivation and drinking despite the fact that many big rivers, some of them perennial rivers, flow through some parts of India. People across India are facing critical drought conditions and water shortages. The scale of need in India is immense, making India the concentrated center of the global water and sanitation crisis. More than 600 million Indians face “acute water shortages,” according to a report last summer by NITI Aayog, a prominent government think tank. After evaporation, the county is left with an average annual water availability of below 1700 BCM. 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