Events & Issues

New Delhi, 20 March 2019

World Water Day

INDIA IN SEVERE CRISIS

By Dhurjati Mukherjee

Water scarcity is fast becoming, or has already emerged, urban India’s number one problem with government data revealing that residents in 21 or 22 out of 32 major cities are facing daily shortage these past years. In fact, with every passing year the surge in population and supply of renewable freshwater water dwindling, the country is in the midst of a severe crisis. The warning is: India will become a ‘water stressed country’ shortly, while another section of experts believe this stage has already been reached.

On 22 March, India must take note of the theme of World Water Day 2019: ‘Leaving no one behind’. This is an adaptation of the central promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The SD Goal 6 includes a target to ensure availability and sustainable management of water for all by 2030. By definition, this means leaving no one behind.

However, India is badly afflicted. The worst-affected city is probably Jamshedpur where the gap between demand and supply is a yawning 70 per cent. The crisis is also acute in Kanpur, Asansol, Dhanbad, Meerut, Faridabad, Visakhapatnam, Madurai and Hyderabad. Though not mentioned by the Government, presently Chennai has also been affected by water scarcity in recent years. The figures further revealed that Greater Mumbai and Delhi, which have the highest water demand among all cities, the gap between demand and supply is comparatively less. The shortfall was estimated at 24 per cent and 17 per cent for Mumbai, both of which have increased significantly and may be around 30 and 25 per cent respectively at present.

In most cities, the spurt in population resulted in the demand for more water. The data pointed if corrective steps are not taken, the situation may further aggravate. Meanwhile, it may be mentioned that most cities are recharging groundwater to tackle the water shortage.

According to noted expert on water management Rajendra Singh, the over exploitation of groundwater, unplanned construction, mindless destruction of environment in the name of development and no water management plan on the part of Government has resulted in the current situation. Obviously, this precarious situation calls for the Government to take urgent steps to prevent misuse of water resources and insist on conservation measures.

Per capita freshwater resources have greatly diminished and are no longer a sustainable resource for potable applications and also for agricultural and industrial use. In regions lacking freshwater resources or water-stressed by climate change, ‘wastewater’ has been reinvented as a water resource. Whatever we call wastewater today, it is still H2O. It is only the remaining one per cent which renders as ‘wastewater’. The in-migration to the cities, which has expanded over time, aggravated the problem.

Take the example of Bengaluru whose population is around 0.5 million and by 2020, more than 2 million IT professionals are expected to live there. Its ground water level has reached zero in many pockets and the city is dependent on private water tankers for its supply. Question is how can the city, which is dependent on ground water for 40% of its supply, meet the increased demand for water in future?

Another example may be Gurgaon which is hardly 30 km away from the Lutyens Delhi zone but facing severe water crisis and is dependent on water tankers for daily supply. Climate change, early summer, deficit rain-fall, depleting water level, rising population and lack of water management policy is making it difficult for the urban local bodies to meet the increasing water demand. According to a World Bank report, most of the cities are moving towards zero ground water level by 2020, which has already set alarm bells ringing for policy makers and urban planners.

As per Government’s estimate, our cities produce nearly 62,000 mld of sewage, out of which only 18,883 mld sewage is treated. Rest of the untreated sewage goes directly to water bodies, polluting our water resources. Domestic sewage accounts for 70 per cent of the contamination of rivers and ponds. The department of water and sanitation are among the top spenders, but if sewerage water is treated and reused for industrial purpose, it will supply water to cities and also help save millions that we spend on cleaning our rivers every year. Countries like Singapore, which faces acute water crisis, have already set an example of how effective management can ensure safe water supply to people. With technology available, there is no reason why India cannot replicate this in its cities.

It is vital to generate public awareness which can help save water. People need to be sensitised about water’s judicious use, such as cutting wastage of water in showers, toilets, and sinks, which account for approximately 75 per cent of the water used in our daily lives.

The other dimension of the problem is the issue of contamination, specially of arsenic and fluoride in different parts of the country. An alarming 75% or more of India’s surface water is polluted, says an assessment by Water Aid, an international organisation working for water sanitation and hygiene.   

The report, based on latest data from the Ministry of Urban Development (2013), census 2011 and Central Pollution Control Board, estimated that 75-80% of water pollution by volume is from domestic sewerage, while untreated sewerage flowing into water bodies including rivers have almost doubled in recent years. While availability is a problem, if this becomes contaminated, it has grave consequences on human health, specially for the poor.   

Around 239 million people spread across 152 districts in 21 States drink water that contains unacceptable high levels of arsenic, in effect they are being slowly poisoned. In response to a question in Lok Sabha, the Water Resource Ministry revealed that 65% of Assam’s population or about 21 million people have been drinking arsenic contaminated water, whereas in Bihar it is 60% and in Bengal 44% of the population is dependent on this poisonous cocktail to quench their thirst. In terms of absolute numbers, UP has the largest number exposed to the risk, with over 70 million people consuming polluted water.

The WHO has warned that long-term intake of such water leads to arsenic poisoning or arsenicosis with cancer of bladder, kidney or lung or diseases of skin -- colour changes and hard patches on palms or soles or blood vessels of legs and feet. Further evidence indicates possible association between intake of contaminated water and onset of diabetes, hypertension and reproductive disorders.  

It appears that our political leaders and bureaucrats are deliberately not acknowledging this threat and advising their constituents how best to combat the problem and making investments in the technology necessary for delivering arsenic-free water. What is the problem in setting up inexpensive community-run arsenic treatment plants that can ensure the long-term environmental health and economic security of an urban neighbourhood?

The challenge of the impending urban water crisis needs to be tackled with all urgency before the problem goes out of hand. Though the recently released Special Report of the IPCC has not clearly highlighted this aspect, it is clearly manifest that the increase in warming levels may need more water, which would become scarcer with every passing year. It goes without saying that intervention of both the Central and State governments, is urgently called for to evolve a plan of action to tackle this crisis.---INFA

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