Water Crisis in India

Introduction

3/4 over 71% of earth is covered with water but only 1% is available as(see the graph below)

And in this 1% freshwater 30% is groundwater commerce 69% is glaciers, ice, ice caps and 1% is rivers, lakes and ponds.

Water is a renewable resource. To make sure that water will be renew, water has to go through a process which is called Hydrological cycle . All water moves within the hydrological cycle and sharing that water is a renewable resource. It is predicted that by 2025 nearly 2 billion people will live in absolute water scarcity.

Biggest concerning problem is water scarcity then novel coronavirus in India now-a-days.

The water stored in aquifers deep under the earth is called Groundwater. It is trapped inside the earth between rocks and soils.Over an average 1/3 of human consumption of water comes from groundwater, yet there are certain Areas where up to 100% use of water is obtained from ground water.

Biggest global threat for population, health and economies is water crisis.

Severity of the crisis

The United Nations International Groundwater Resources Assessment Centre (UN - IGRAC)

Report says that the groundwater is the main source of drinking water for nearly half of the total population in the earth.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), there are millions and millions of people deprived of water, sanitization and hygiene. Over 23% (2.2 billion) of the total population do not have access to drinking water services.

In least developed countries (LDCs), 74% of the rural population is living without access to safe drinking water. In India too, the scarcity of water resources is growing very fast. The groundwater is depleting and it may leave China behind in terms of depletion of groundwater resources in India.

Being an agricultural country, groundwater plays significant role in irrigation and food production in India. Over 80% of the total Indian population depends on groundwater.

The 1960s, the consumption of groundwater for agricultural activities increased significantly. India has only 4% of the Global freshwater resources but hosts the second largest population on earth after China.

Water stressed regions in India

Currently, 1/3 of the total Indian population is living in water stressed regions which is expected to increase further. World Resources Institute (WRI) mentions that India is one of those 17 countries in world which are going through high water stress conditions.

Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra are at semi mines critical level in term of water stress conditions. Nearly 20 crore people and India are living in areas of unsustainable ground water usage.

Matthew Rodell from NASA's hydrological Sciences laboratory believes that the groundwater depletion rate in the Northern India is around 19.2 gigatons per year.

Impact of water scarcity & pollution

The water scarcity due to rampant water pollution is another major concern in India.

Central ground water board (CGWB) in its fifth minor irrigation census mentions that during 2007 - 2017, the groundwater resources has depleted by 61%.

Economical impacts

According to the Journal of Environment Economics and management report, as the groundwater depletes, the farmer have to either dig more deep Wells or to decrease the extent of their farmlands. It is found in report that as farmers face more water scarcity comedy invest more in taking more the bells as well as the rate race drought resistant crops.

Report published in Third world quarterly in 2013 establishes critical links between raising commercial crops and bore well failure, overwhelming debts, increasing farmers suicide in Deccan Plateau region.

Social impacts

The study, published in nature by Matthew Rodell and several other researchers, was conducted between 2002 and 2016. A study conducted by hydrological Sciences laboratory chief Metthew Rodell suggest that the rainfall in the Indo - Gangetic Plains may decrease by 2100 due to global warming, but the past researches reveal that the rainfall has actually decreased.

What Indian government doing?

The overexploitation of water for agricultural purposes is one of the main reasons behind the fast depletion of the groundwater resources in India.

Seeing the extent and pace of groundwater depletion, the MoEFCC has constituted an expert committee to recommend urgent measures and also to prepare a detailed Framework for future. The expert committee has recommended that the groundwater use in agriculture should be regulated and also suggested that the sewage waters can also be used in agriculture. Earlier, Tamilnadu had already enacted Tamil Nadu groundwater development and management Act 2003 for Regulation and development of groundwater but the act could not be implemented properly.

As a citizen, what should one do?

Plantation can be an effective way to increase the groundwater table. The roots of tree increases the water retention capacity of the soil. We can reduce plastic use and throwing garbage in the rivers and ponds. We should not waste water from tap.