India is placed at 120th among 122 countries in the water quality index.
A Niti Aayog report titled ‘Composite Water Management Index’ (CWMI), on June 14 revealed that India is suffering from “the worst water crisis” in its history, with about 600 million people facing high to extreme water stress and about 200,000 people dying every year due to inadequate access to safe water.
The report released by Minister for Water Resources Nitin Gadkari said that the demand for potable water will outdo supply by 2030 if necessary steps are not taken.
“By 2030, the country’s water demand is projected to be twice the available supply, implying severe water scarcity for hundreds of millions of people and an eventual 6 pc loss in the country’s GDP,” the report noted.
In fact, by 2020, 21 major cities, including Delhi, Bangalore, and Hyderabad, are expected to reach zero groundwater levels, affecting access for 100 million people,” said the report.
Recently Shimla, a hill town in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh, ran out of water and the residents waited for four days to get water.
What should the government do?
India could learn from countries like Israel and Singapore on implementing a centralised water management system.
Niti Aayog has proposed a few initiatives to curb the water crisis: Establishing a ‘Composite Water Management Index’ for the country.
State governments should build supply networks and limit private groundwater access to ensure sustainable water use in cities, and prevent the rationing and strife witnessed in the water crisis of Cape Town.