PEOPLE AND THEIR PROBLEMS

New Delhi, 28 October 2005

Towards Low Productivity

 WATER CRISIS  AHEAD FOR INDIA

 By Radhakrishna Rao

Abundant and sustained availability of fresh water is vital for industrial and economic growth as well as for the well-being of the community.  However, uneven distribution of water resources due to a combination of climatic and geological factors makes for water deficient and water surplus areas within a country.  Indeed, as water resources expert point out, transfer of water from surplus zones to deficit zones in an environmentally sustainable and economically viable manner holds the key to ending the cycle of droughts and famines haunting many parts of the country with recurring regularity. However India’s track record in this area is far from edifying.  The long deferred plan to link up all the major rivers of the country to ensure an equitable distribution of water on a countrywide basis continues to hang fire.

The recurring disputes over the sharing of river water between the various States as well as “daily conflicts and clashes” over the access to water from community taps have become a fact of life. Strategic experts too are of the view that if oil was the cause the wars fought in the 20^th century, water will be the cause of wars in the 21^st century.

Water are renewable natural resources. But by no stretch of imagination it is an infinite bounty of nature.  By all means, water needs to be managed with care and efficiency. Misuse and abuse of this seemingly inexhaustible resource could spell disaster for the community. In fact, the wreckless and indiscriminate sinking of bore-wells to support the cultivation of water intensive crops in the states including Punjab, Haryana, Tamilnadu and Gujarat has resulted in the steady and irreversible decline in the level of the ground water table. 

On the other hand, in the coastal State of Gujarat, sea water incursion and increase in salinity level in several areas of the State have made water unfit for human consumption. Indeed, studies by IWMI (International Water Management Institute) points out that a large part of the western and peninsular India is all set to face a serious water crisis in the coming 25 years.  According to IWMI studies, marginal and small farmers operate only 15% of India’s total farmland but are saddled with 73% of the abandoned tube-wells due to lower water tables and higher energy costs.

As it is, ground water continues to support more than half of the country’s irrigated farmland. Inefficient use of irrigated water leads to low water productivity even in crops that have higher water use efficiency.  Sunita Narian, Director of the New Delhi based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) advocates water harvesting as an important tool to mange water scarcity .The thesis of the World Bank is that tube wells played an important role in preventing social conflicts and political upheavels over water in India.

A study by John Briscose, a water resources expert with the World Bank observes that urbanization and changing patterns of cropping are putting severe pressure on the fast declining ground water table of the country. He is of view that investment in water infrastructure will provide some respite to the excessive exploitation of the ground water resources. The water usage trend, he said, suggests that while irrigation from underground aquifers has gone up, canal irrigation has not made much of the headway.  The future, Briscose observes, will also witness major transformation in the way public water services are provided to the farmers, households and industries Briscose also points out that issues concerning water entitlement, financial sustainability, accounts and regulation will assume importance in the days ahead.

Clearly and apparently, the World Bank report forecasts that India might face a turbulent future in so far as water availability is concerned.”  Unless drastic changes are made and made soon, the way in which  the Government manages  water , India will have neither the cash  to maintain and  build  a new infrastructure  nor the water required  for the  economy and the people.’ says the  World Bank study. The World Bank study also highlights in a very clear cut manner that signal failure of India to build sufficient water storage capacity will prove to be the undoing of the country. 

While the rich countries have built over 5000 cubic metres per capita water storage capacity, the middle income countries such as Mexico and China have a per capita capacity to store 100 cubic metres of water.  In contrast, the Indian water storage capacity per capita is at a low of 200 cubic metres.  As such the World Bank argues that the role of the state must change from that of a builder and controller to the creator of enabling environment for the water supply system.

On another front, the World Bank document has strongly recommended private sector participation in the creation of water supply distribution network, unbundling of actors in the service by clarifying their roles, decentralization to the lowest levels of the Government, recovery of operational and maintenance costs at an efficient manner.

It is in keeping with his philosophy that the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has unveiled a plan for the privatization of the water supply schemes through the involvement of for the foreign companies much to the chagrin of the consuming public who are up in arms against the scheme that is likely to push the service charges by a phenomenal extent.  According to eco-activist and researcher Vandana Shiva, “the privatization lobby sees water as a commodity.  They believe water is not to be given free”.  Meanwhile the New Delhi based NGO Parivartan which is spearheading the public campaign against the privatization of the water supply scheme has described the move as a “dangerous rend”.

Of course, the multi million rupee Sonia Vihar water supply scheme built on the basis of design, build and operate contract with the French firm Degremout for a period of ten years is yet to get water from the Terhi Dam in Uttaranchal .And both Haryana and. Uttar Pradesh have refused to make available water for this much touted scheme .And there are the possibilities of this scheme ending up as a white elephant and a showpiece of monumental blunder on the part of the New Delhi administration. Way back in 1996, a Parliamentary Committee had suggested to include treated water through the local administration under the category of food. And as things stand now Delhi will have to brace up for a sever water crisis by 2015.

For, in most parts of the world privatization of water distribution systems have come a cropper with the consumers expressing their stern opposition to such schemes.  With the citizens of New Delhi not willing to take the World Bank prescription for water distribution, the privation lobby under the influence of foreign multinationals may be forced to retreat.---INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)