World Environment Day 2023 | Tech-led innovations hold the key to battling India's water crisis

The role of technology-led innovations in battling India's water crisis cannot be overstated, and this crisis demands urgent, collaborative efforts. (Photo by Utpal Adhikary via Pexels)

Water is a critical natural resource - not just for human sustenance but also for the long-term development of economies across the globe. And yet, India's water crisis continues to loom large, posing a significant threat to the nation's sustainable development and the well-being of its citizens.

To comprehend the gravity of the issue, one must first understand the state of the problem. As of 2023, India is experiencing severe water stress, with a substantial number of regions grappling with acute shortages. If current water usage patterns persist, experts foresee the demand outpacing the supply by 40 percent by the year 2030. In just seven years, we are facing what could be termed as the catastrophic consequence of rapid urbanization, inefficient agricultural practices, and inadequate solutions for water storage, treatment and recharge. Factors like contamination of existing water resources and depletion of groundwater sources further strain the already overburdened water systems.

Agriculture, in fact, is one of the leading consumers of water resources (91 percent) with domestic consumption taking the second spot at 7 percent and industry at 2 percent. Particularly vulnerable to the vagaries of the monsoon, the sector is very dependent on groundwater resources which have been steadily depleting. The Central Water Commission (CWC) observed that per-capita ground water availability had reduced from 1545 cubic metres in 2011 to 1486 cubic metres in 2021 - an alarming statistic that, if not addressed, could potentially impact food security.

With a fast-burgeoning population, the water crisis has become a dire situation that demands urgent attention and innovative solutions. In this context, technology has emerged as a beacon of hope, offering practical and scalable approaches to tackle the multifaceted challenges of water scarcity:

● Monitoring and analysing water usage can help identify inefficiencies and areas where water can be conserved. This can help in reducing water wastage, especially in agriculture and industrial sectors.

● Water treatment processes can help clean up polluted water and make it fit for reuse, especially in the industrial sector.

● Implementing water-saving techniques and managing water usage can help reduce water wastage and increase water efficiency, especially in agriculture.

● Storing water during the rainy season and recharging groundwater can help ensure a steady supply of water during the dry season.

Social entrepreneurial solutions that leverage technology to address the areas above can prove to be valuable allies in preventing as well as mitigating the problem at scale. New-age technologies can perform complex functions like monitoring soil nutrient deficiencies, calibrating the amount of agricultural inputs required, and promoting the controlled use of water resources. When deployed efficiently, such technologies can also bring down soil pollution and greenhouse has (GHG) emissions.

An example that comes to mind is SWAR (System of Water for Agricultural Rejuvenation) that’s being pioneered by the Centre for Environmental Concerns - a first-of-its-kind root zone measured moisture diffuser that comes as an add-on to drip irrigation laterals along with locally farm-made microbe inoculum to foster soil health. This innovation has been proven to yield water savings of 30-70 percent while reducing chemical fertilizer requirements and improving crop quality as well as yield.

Similarly, predictive analytics can help prevent water wastage across industries - whose water consumption is growing at an unprecedented pace - by keeping stakeholders informed about water usage patterns and helping them refine water management strategies.

However, the pathway from ideation to deployment to the scaling up of such innovations is not easy. For social entrepreneurs to bring about transformative change, they require patient capital that prioritizes social returns and lays emphasis on long-term impact. Through multi-faceted funding models, such capital can enable climate action entrepreneurs to build homegrown, cutting-edge solutions that accelerate the pace of change.

Also read: India@75 | 4 green warriors, 4 great ideas to save our ecology

Apart from the funder ecosystem, another mission-critical area of focus is partnering with the government to scale municipal water management solutions. Water resilience has emerged as a critical policy priority in recent years as evidenced by the focus on initiatives like the National Perspective Plan for Water Resources Development and the Jal Jeevan Mission. Public private partnerships with government stakeholders can leverage collective action as a powerful tool to amplify the impact of innovations and enable them to create sustainable change.

Simply put, the role of technology-led innovations in battling India's water crisis cannot be overstated and this crisis demands urgent, collaborative efforts.  It is imperative that we embrace such innovations and create an enabling environment for social entrepreneurs to thrive. By combining technological advancements with the passion and drive of changemakers, we can usher in a future where every Indian has access to clean water, ensuring a sustainable and prosperous nation for generations to come.

Also read: Not just politicians and activists, real climate action will come from entrepreneurs