With 18 percent of the world’s population but only 4 percent of its freshwater resources, India faces severe water stress, intensified by the relentless impacts of climate change.

Status Of India’s Water Resources

• Widespread Water Stress: A 2018 report by NITI Aayog highlighted that 600 million Indians are already experiencing high to extreme water stress.
• Escalating Demand: Projections indicate a critical future: by 2030, the demand for water in India is expected to be double its available supply, leading to severe scarcity for millions.
• Global Ranking: The World Resources Institute, in its assessment of the most water-stressed countries globally, ranked India 13th among 17 nations facing extreme water stress.
• Distressed Cities: Cities like Bengaluru, Chennai, and Delhi have become symbols of urban water distress. Chennai experienced a severe water crisis in 2019, leaving millions struggling for access.
• Groundwater Depletion in Cities: NITI Aayog warns that by 2030, 21 Indian cities could completely run out of groundwater, impacting an estimated 100 million people.

Reasons For Water Crisis In India

• Groundwater Depletion: A significant portion of India’s water needs are met by groundwater, but its levels are rapidly declining.
  • 60% of irrigated agriculture in India relies on groundwater.
  • 85% of the country’s drinking water needs are fulfilled by groundwater sources.
• Groundwater Contamination: A 2024 annual report on groundwater quality revealed that 70% of India’s water resources are contaminated. 
  • Annually, 200,000 people die due to waterborne diseases (NITI Aayog,2018 ).
  • Fluoride and arsenic contamination alone affect 230 million people across 19 states. 
  • Rivers like Yamuna are also severely polluted.
• Erratic Monsoons: Monsoon patterns have become unpredictable, with early or late arrivals, and variations in rainfall (too much or too little). This directly harms agricultural output, which is heavily reliant on monsoon rains.
• Drought-Prone Areas: A significant 33% of India’s land is prone to drought, leading to soil moisture deficits and hindering crop growth.
• Melting Glaciers: While melting glaciers might temporarily increase river flow, in the long term, they lead to a reduction in water availability as their reserves deplete.
• Agricultural Practice: Crops like rice and sugarcane, which require vast amounts of water, continue to dominate cultivation.
• Exporting Water: The NITI Aayog and Economic Survey have noted that exporting rice is akin to exporting water, given the enormous water footprint of its cultivation.
  • States like Punjab, Haryana, and Western Uttar Pradesh, despite being water-stressed, cultivate paddy by over-exploiting groundwater, often driven by government policies like Minimum Support Price (MSP).
• Limited Micro-Irrigation: While modern techniques like drip and sprinkler irrigation can save 50% of water, they are currently used on only 9% of cultivated land.

Economic Impact Of Water Scarcity

• The World Bank projects that water scarcity due to climate change could result in a 12% loss to India’s GDP by 2050, amounting to billions of dollars in economic loss. 
  • Farmers are particularly vulnerable, with a 100mm drop in rainfall potentially reducing their income by 15% during the Kharif season and 7% during the Rabi season. 
  • Un-irrigated areas could see income drops of up to 25%.

Government Initiatives and Best Practices

• Atal Bhujal Yojana: This World Bank-supported initiative promotes community-led groundwater management. It is currently active in 8,000 Gram Panchayats across seven water-stressed states.
• National Water Mission: Aims to improve water use efficiency by 20% by 2025.
• Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP): The World Bank has invested $1 billion to modernize 300 large dams in India.
• Meghalaya Water Harvesting: The Asian Development Bank has provided a $50 million loan for implementing water harvesting projects in Meghalaya.
• Solar-Powered Irrigation: Promoting solar-powered irrigation systems can help reduce excessive groundwater extraction and lower carbon emissions.

Challenges In Managing Water Crisis

• Funding Gap: There’s a massive financial gap of $6.7 trillion by 2030 for improving water infrastructure. This highlights the need for increased private investment, drawing lessons from countries like Chile and Peru.
• Lack of Water Accounting: A major hurdle is the absence of proper accounting for water use, making it difficult to track where and how much water is being consumed.

Way Forward

• People’s Participation (Jan Bhagidari): Active community participation is crucial for effective water conservation and management. 
  • Schemes like the Atal Bhujal Yojana and Jal Shakti Abhiyan, which involve communities in water harvesting, need to be strengthened through increased awareness and incentives.
• Policy Alignment: It is essential to integrate water, energy, and climate policies.
• One Health Approach: As advocated by the World Bank, a “One Health” approach recognizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health. 

Conclusion

The water crisis in India is a complex and urgent issue. A combination of robust policies, significant investment, technological adoption, and, most importantly, widespread public participation is necessary to secure a sustainable water future for the nation.

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