This isn’t some zombie apocalypse or fast-approaching war, but it represents an acute catastrophe: The city of almost 4 million people will have their water taps shut off, which is currently projected to happen on July 15.
Cape Town’s crisis was detectable as early as the 1990s.
The city’s shortage was avoidable and so is Texas’ coming water crisis.
We have to take action as our water supplies continue to dwindle, water demand increases and temperatures internationally soar to new levels.
To tackle a problem this large, we need to redefine the way we think about water.
We could create comprehensive water conservation and recycling programs at the local and state levels.
City parks departments would collaborate with waste management services— nearby cities would co-manage regional water resources.
Under this system, local and state entities would be codependent, encouraging cooperative decision-making.
Water professionals said One Water promoted greater stability and resilience, more opportunities to optimize regional infrastructure, sustainable development and increased collaboration between government entities.
Cape Town should be a grave warning to the world.

THE ARTICLE “How City can counter water shortage” (Cape Argus, March 6) by Lester September is compulsory reading for every councillor.
Failure to take timely action, as happened with the current water crisis, burdens daily existence, impedes economic growth, scares tourists and reflects poorly on those mandated to foresee problems and have advanced plans in place.
I agree wholeheartedly with that.
On November 3 I sent a five-page letter to the Interim Planning Committee explaining in great detail why the city should not countenance the application for rezoning of 12 portions of erven 558 in Philippi.
The two ANC members abstained and it was left to the ACDP and Cope to vote against the application.
Growth is essential but it can never be at the expense of ecology and the environment.
The future is certainly going to be daunting because of long-term water scarcity.
Furthermore, land subsidence and salt water ingress into the aquifers will leave us more challenged.
I pointed out previously how the very centre of Mexico City, which houses the city hall, is sinking because of excess water extraction and inadequate recharging of the aquifer it sits on.
At that point, residents will start demanding why the council had not foreseen the problem and taken appropriate measures.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Water resources minister Mathew T. Thomas said that 18 ongoing drinking water projects would be commissioned on a war footing during the summer months of March, April and May.
“The state government has taken the severity of the impending summer very seriously,” the minister said while responding to a Calling Attention moved by CPI leader C. Divakaran in the Assembly on Wednesday on the need to take precautionary steps to solve the worsening drinking water scarcity in the state.
“So as a precautionary measure we have already completed 94 works worth Rs 2.32 crore to ensure the availability of water in such rivers,” Mr Thomas said.
Of these 35 works relate to the construction of temporary check dams in rivers.
“These dams will not only retain water, but will also prevent the intrusion of brackish water into these sources,” he said.
The minister, however, said that, compared to last year, the water level in dams was slightly better.
The water level in monitored wells, too, has also risen when compared to last year.
Still, he said that the level was lower than the average level for the last 10 years.
“The Department has also taken steps to make the distribution network more efficient by carrying out urgent maintenance works on pumps and motors, and by the timely repair of leaks on pipe lines,” the minister said.
Local bodies and the Revenue department will reach water using tanker lorries to places where the network did not adequately serve the needs of the people, the minister said.

Addressing the students on the occasion of the 8th state level painting competition organized by the state unit of CGWB at Naharlagun on 5 February, RK Kalita, a scientist at CGWB, pointed out that although Northeast region of the country receives bounty of rainfall and has abundant water resources, there has always been the shortage of water in many places.
He said people living in the hilly areas of Arunachal Pradesh always suffer from water, for which it become very important to conserve water.
He sought active participation of students in spreading the message of conserving water to secure life.
He said that the CGWB has been engaged since its constitution following directivesof the Supreme Court in providing scientific inputs for management, exploration, monitoring, assessment, augmentation and regulation of ground water resources of the country, besides raising public awareness on water conservation through IEC campaigns.
Director of Elementary Education T Gao said that the people residing in hilly areas always suffer from water problem.
Stating that the problem of water scarcity in hilly region is different from plain areas, he appealed to the scientists of the CGWB to work out a strategy to minimize water shortage in various parts of the state.
The consolation prize winners were awarded Rs 1000 each.
The first three winners would take part in the national level painting competition.
In total, 3106 students from various schools of 14 districts participated in the district level painting competition.
A five-member jury had selected 50 students from the best paintings sent by various schools based on school level painting competition for students of class six, seven and eight.

Mumbai, Mar 7 The Bombay High Court today reiterated that in times of water scarcity and drought, the priority for water supply would be given to domestic consumption purposes, such as drinking and sanitation, by Maharashtra state.
A bench of Justice A S Oka and RI Chagla said that in cases of conflict over the category that an event or activity must be classified into, the authorities must look at what the dominating purpose of such event was.
"In a case like the present, we have to check what the dominating purpose of the Indian Premiere League (IPL) is.
It is either a sports activity, or a commercial activity and therefore, will rank last on the water supply priority list," the bench said.
"However, the IPL organisers can’t say that since they use this water not just for pitch maintenance but also for the toilets and sanitation in the stadiums, it must get top priority," it said.
The bench was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by the NGO Loksatta Movement, opposing the IPL matches scheduled in Mumbai and some other cities in Maharashtra in the year 2016, because of the prevailing drought-like situation in Maharashtra at the time.
While the 2016 matches were shifted out of the state following the HC’s order, the PIL had also urged the court to ensure that the provisions of the state as well as the national water policy were adhered to for the IPL matches in the future.
Maharashtra’s own water policy and the national water policy mandates that when it comes to water supply, the first priority must be given to drinking and sanitation purposes, the second to agriculture, third to industrial needs, the fourth to sports, and the last to religious, and recreational activities.
On a previous hearing, the high court had directed the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) and the Board of Cricket Control of India (BCCI) to clarify whether the IPL was a sports activity or a recreational activity.
The MCA, meanwhile, has maintained that irrespective of its placement on the water priority list, it will not use potable water either purchased privately, or provided by the civic body, for watering the pitches and for other maintenance work at the Wankhede stadium during this year’s Indian Premiere League matches.

The all-time record in the city for March is 37.3 degrees Celsius.
However, weathermen clarified the temperature was 34 degrees Celsius and it was quite normal at this time of the year.
But in isolated areas, the variation from the normal weather could be 3-4 degrees.” Asked why even though there is no big variation in the normal temperature, Bengalureans have started to feel the heat, Reddy said, “As night temperatures are still low, evenings and nights are pleasant.
Weather will be pleasant till 8 am and after that people start feeling the heat as the weather is transiting from winter to summer.” The all-time record in the city for March is 37.3 degrees Celsius.
Looking at the prevailing weather system, temperatures in the city may not cross 36 degrees, Reddy said.
He said if high temperature continues it will lead to the formation of conducive currents and bring rain and thereby bring down mercury.
Reddy said, “As the city and some parts of the state witnessed heavy rains between August and October last year, there will be water available for the birds, livestock and plants.” No water crisis this summer: Mayor There will be no water scarcity this summer, said Mayor Sampath Raj, who visited the Ground Level Reservoir at High Grounds along with BWSSB officials.
After the inspection and discussion with BWSSB officials, he said, "BWSSB is ready with its contingency plan to handle the drinking water needs in the city and as a part of its plan it has already kept 68 water tankers ready to supply water to the areas which could experience scarcity.
And this will be monitored by a senior official of the water board by carrying out inspections across the city.” He said BWSSB staff will be deputed at the BBMP control rooms and will be tasked with the job of handling and resolving water related complaints recorded by BBMP control room.
If you have any water related issue you can call BWSSB’s 24X7 helpline 1916 or 080-2223888.

Paradip: Authorities have rationed water supply to the port town following drying up of the Taladanda canal.
The drinking water supply system has been trimmed down once a day to meet with the emergent situation.
Earlier, the residents used to get supplied water twice a day.
The restricted supply in the daily consumption of water came into force from February 1.
"The port town is experiencing the water shortage.
We are trying our best to tackle the situation," said an official of the port’s public health engineering department (environment and civil).
There has been drastic fall in the water level both at the Taladanda canal and three water-carrying reservoirs in the port town.
Following the renovation, the water intake capacity has increased in the canal system, which is linked with the Mahanadi river.
However, the flow of water has thinned, and it has triggered the prevailing drinking water scarcity.
Land clash At least a dozen persons have been injured in a group clash at Baniapashi village in Taruaan gram panchayat of Keonjhar district.

BHUBANESWAR: The BJP on Monday lambasted the State Government for making tall claims of achievements when many parts of the State have already started experiencing drinking water scarcity.
Criticising Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for making the Panchayati Raj Divas a party programme, leader of the BJP Legislature Party KV Singhdeo dared the former to provide a correct picture on the drinking water supply position in rural areas to the people during his interaction with them and elected representatives of panchayats.
Claiming that only two per cent of rural population has been covered under piped water supply in the last 18 years, Singhdeo said drinking water scarcity is being felt in many parts of the State especially in areas which received scanty rainfall during last monsoon.
With rising temperature, the situation will be more acute in the coming days.
Disputing the State Government’s achievement in rural housing sector, the former minister said the ruling BJD is making a false propaganda.
While the State Government is claiming to have constructed 11.5 lakh housing since 2014-15, this is the cumulative achievement of the last 10 years.
As per the State Government’s progress report, 9,73,273 houses have been constructed under Indira Awas Yojana (IAY), 2,31,467 houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Rural), 13,226 houses under Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana and 2,392 houses under Niraman Shramika Pucca Ghar.
Of the total houses constructed till January 2018, over 3.17 lakh houses were built during the current year.
Claiming that the State Government has not made any budgetary provision for Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana this fiscal, Singhdeo sought to know from the Chief Minister about his government’s achievement under the State-funded housing scheme in 2017-18.He further alleged that selection of beneficiaries under rural housing scheme is made on party lines.

KOCHI: A panchayat has prepared a dependable, realistic and systematic water management plan which can be replicated by other civic bodies.
The plan developed for the first time in the state by the Meloor panchayat in Thrissur district with the support of SCMS Water Institute, Karukutty, assumes significance in the current water scarcity situation.
The SCMS students, who conducted a survey, took water samples from all the 17 wards and analysed its quality standards.
They also quantified the different water sources and the actual demand for drinking water and irrigation.
The major sources of water in the panchayat are wells followed by canal and lift irrigation, public pond, river, Kerala Water Authority, tanker lorries and bottled water.
The major recommendations for water security are restoration of water bodies, exploitation of canal diversion scheme for river water harvesting, sanitation of wells, rain water harvesting through well recharge and watershed practices, routine water quality analysis, restrictions on bore wells, participatory water use audits, encouraging KWA connections, restriction on water intensive crops and formation of water brigade.
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Agriculture is the main occupation of the people and unavailability of water for irrigation has serious impact.
Meloor can be a warning signal for other panchayats on how a water-rich area can suddenly become parched," said Sunny George, director of SCMS Water Institute.

The situation entered danger zone in over 1,000 villages.
The situation entered danger zone in over 1,000 villages.
Last year, the state government tried to supply drinking water by hiring private water tankers.
Situation in Karimnagar district is worst with the groundwater table falling to 16 metres.
The 24×7 free power being provided to agriculture since January 1 is also cited as a factor to the depleting groundwater level.
Funds have been stopped to all the drinking water schemes under the pretext of the Mission Bhagiratha.
With the work progressing at a slow pace, chances of the Mission Bhagiratha water reaching households in summer are remote.
So far, laying of main pipeline works to draw water from Krishna and Godavari rivers for Mission Bhagiratha has been completed.
However, contractors are delaying the intra-pipeline laying works under one pretext or the other.
While right of way has become a problem with property owners and farmers refusing to allow pipelines in some districts, people are opposing digging up of roads and not restoring them later to lay pipes.