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Introduction

Urban centres across the world are increasingly confronting the spectre of ‘Zero-Day’ water scenarios, where cities run out of usable water. The experiences of Tehran and Jakarta, as highlighted recently, serve as cautionary tales for Indian metropolitan cities already facing acute water stress.

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Increasing Threat of Zero-Day Scenarios in Indian Cities

• Climate change–induced decline in natural water sources: Rising temperatures and erratic weather are reducing snow cover and altering hydrological cycles, weakening traditional water sources for cities.
  Eg: Reduced snowfall in Iran’s Alborz mountains has depleted Tehran’s supply.
• Overexploitation of groundwater: Excessive and unregulated groundwater extraction to meet urban demand leads to aquifer depletion and land subsidence.
  Eg: Jakarta’s dependence on groundwater has caused the city to sink by up to 15 cm annually.
• Rapid urban expansion without water-sensitive planning: Unplanned urban growth increases demand without proportional augmentation of water infrastructure.
  Eg: Indian metros have expanded through urban sprawl, placing unsustainable pressure on limited water resources.
• Pollution of surface water bodies: Contamination of rivers and lakes reduces usable freshwater, forcing cities to rely on costly alternatives.
  Eg: High ammonia levels in the Yamuna make its water unfit for consumption, pushing Delhi towards tanker dependence.
• Inter-state dependency and governance fragility: Cities reliant on external water sources remain vulnerable to political and climatic disruptions.
  Eg: Delhi’s dependence on Haryana and Uttar Pradesh exposes it to supply uncertainties.

Urgent Policy Interventions Required

• Groundwater regulation and monitoring: Strengthen and expand schemes like the Atal Groundwater Scheme with enforceable extraction limits.
• Urban rainwater harvesting and recharge: Mandatory rainwater harvesting in buildings, especially in water-stressed cities like Chennai.
• Wastewater recycling and reuse: Scaling up treated wastewater reuse for industry and urban services, as initiated in select cities.
• Digital water governance: Use piezometers and digital water grids to enable real-time monitoring and citizen awareness.
• Climate-resilient urban planning: Integrate water security into urban master plans, avoiding short-term fixes like capital relocation seen in Indonesia.

Conclusion

The experiences of Tehran and Jakarta show that Zero-Day water crises stem from governance failures amplified by climate change. For India, preventing similar urban collapse demands anticipatory, integrated and climate-sensitive water management, moving decisively from reactive crisis responses to long-term urban water security.

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