MC Explains | How severe is India’s water crisis and why it is likely to worsen

Troubled waters

Being a tropical country that experiences extremely hot summers, it is no surprise that India has immense water needs. But what makes the situation exceptional is that our country is home to 18 percent of the world’s population and only 4 percent of its water resources. As the population increases, the per capita availability of water reduces. For instance, as per data presented in the Parliament in March this year, the per capita water availability in 2001 was assessed to be 1,816 cubic metres. It reduced to 1,486 cubic metres in 2021 and is expected to decline further to 1,367 by 2031.

Climate change exacerbates this problem. It increases the frequency and intensity of floods, heatwaves and droughts, putting additional pressures on the existing water resources. It also makes the monsoon erratic - India relies heavily on its monsoon. The monsoon accounts for around 70 percent of the country's annual rainfall. It irrigates 60 percent of our net sown area. It is also essential to maintain an optimum level of storage in 140 reservoirs, as per the Central Water Commission.

The distribution of seasonal rains has been of great concern, with several parts of the country remaining rain deficient in the last five years. And with the El Nino fear looming large this year, 2023 too could see an impacted monsoon season. “The likelihood of El Nino is increasing and its probability of becoming a dominant category during the monsoon is growing large. El-Nino return may presage a weaker monsoon,” private weather agency Skymet said in a statement.

Breaking ground

This, in turn, increases the reliance of rural and urban populations on groundwater. As per the parliamentary standing committee on water resources, groundwater provides 80 percent of India’s rural drinking water, 50 percent of urban drinking water and nearly two-thirds of irrigation needs. It is crucial to secure food and water for future generations.

But, as per the World Bank, India is the world’s largest extractor of groundwater, accounting for 244.92 billion cubic metres of annual extraction. We are extracting more groundwater than the US and China combined. As a result, as many as 256 of 700 districts in India have reported ‘critical’ or ‘over-exploited’ groundwater levels, according to the Central Ground Water Board data (from 2017). Other water bodies are growing toxic too. Every day, almost 40 million litres of wastewater enters rivers and other water bodies with only a tiny fraction adequately treated.

It is little wonder then that 70 percent of surface water in India is unfit for consumption. We are already feeling the crunch. According to a 2019 report of the Niti Ayog, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Delhi, Bengaluru, and Chennai have been facing serious water scarcity since 2018.

Every drop counts

The government has been making efforts to address water issues via state and national initiatives. It provides assistance via the Jal Jeevan Mission (providing tap water connection to every rural household), Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (providing tap water connection to every urban household in statutory towns) and Jal Shakti Abhiyan (saving and conserving rainwater). As of May 2023, over 61 percent of rural households have been connected with tap water. Over 80 percent of urban households have water facilities on premises.

To make more decisions, however, it needs dependable data. This is where the water body census helps. For instance, as per the report, 83.7 percent water bodies are ‘in use’; the remaining are non-functional on account of drying up, silting or construction. Additionally, 1.6 percent of water bodies have suffered encroachment.

It also tells us that Maharashtra leads when it comes to building water bodies under water conservation schemes. At the same time, almost 93 percent of water bodies in the state are in the form of check dams, which means rural populations depend heavily on these water-conservation schemes. Access to such data can help in the prevention of pollution, rejuvenation of water bodies, and further conservation efforts, where needed.

In the end, however, a greater resolve and more collaboration among all stakeholders is needed to help manage this impending crisis and mitigate its effects, for everyone, everywhere, in the country.

How you can help

Turning off your tap while you brush your teeth can save 6 litres of water per minute.

Every minute you spend in the shower uses up to 17 litres of water. Set a timer on your phone to shorten showers.

Washing a full machine load of clothes uses less water than 2 half-loads.

An estimated one-third of all food produced globally is lost or goes to waste. Reduce your food wastage to reduce demand on agriculture, which is one of the biggest water consumers.

Water outdoor plants early in the morning or around sunset to stop water from immediately evaporating. You can also ditch the automatic sprinkler and water plants manually to cut usage by 33 percent.

Opt for a modern dual-flush, which uses 6 litres – or 4 with a reduced flush. It is much less than the 13 litres used by the old-style single flush.