Mains Practice Questions

Approach :

• Briefly introduce the extent and nature of India’s water crisis.
• Discuss how the crisis deepens due to mismanagement in agriculture, inequitable urban consumption, and recurring interstate disputes.
• Suggest measures to address this issue.
• Conclude it with a suitable way forward.

Introduction:

India supports 18% of the world’s population with only 4% of global freshwater resources. Reports such as the NITI Aayog Composite Water Management Index (2019) has shown that nearly 600 million people are facing high to extreme water stress in India. While geographical scarcity exists, the crisis deepens due to mismanagement in agriculture, inequitable urban consumption, and recurring interstate disputes, making governance failures the central concern.

Body :

Nature of India’s Water Crisis

• Current Status of Availability:
  • The average annual per capita water availability in India has declined from 1,816 cubic meters in 2001 to 1,545 cubic meters based on the 2011 census.
  • Projections by the Central Water Commission indicate further decreases to 1,434 cubic meters by 2025 and 1,219 cubic meters by 2050.
• Groundwater depletion: India extracts over 250 cubic km annually, the highest in the world, with 70% of aquifers projected to be critical by 2030.
• Monsoon dependency: Over 80% of rainfall occurs in 4 months, causing seasonal stress.
• Water Quality Concerns : According to the NITI Aayog Report on Water Crisis (2019), nearly 70% of India’s water is contaminated.
• Regional disparity: Water abundance in the north-east vs. scarcity in arid regions like Rajasthan.

Unsustainable Agricultural Practices

• Inefficient irrigation: As per Central Water Commission, agriculture consumes about 78% of India's water resources, often inefficiently.
• Water-intensive crops:The shift to water-intensive crops and outdated irrigation practices contribute to water stress.
  • Sugarcane in drought-prone Maharashtra and paddy in Punjab consume disproportionate water.
• Over-extraction: Free/subsidized electricity and assured MSP procurement encourage groundwater exploitation in Punjab and Haryana.

Inequitable Urban Consumption

• Population Growth and Urbanization: Rising population and rapid urbanization have amplified groundwater demand for drinking water, sanitation, and industrial use.
  • Between 2016 and 2023, India’s population increased from 1.29 billion to 1.45 billion, and urban migration has stressed city aquifers.
• Distribution losses: Nearly 35–40% of water is lost in urban supply systems due to leakages.
• Inequity: Gated colonies in Delhi or Bengaluru may get 300–400 litres per capita daily, while slum dwellers survive on less than 50 LPCD.
• Unregulated extraction: Industries and households exploit groundwater without oversight.
• Neglect of recycling: Only 30% of wastewater is treated, leaving huge potential untapped.

Recurring Interstate River Disputes

• The Cauvery conflict between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu shows how seasonal flows trigger political contestation.
• The Krishna-Godavari dispute between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana highlights basin-level tensions.
• The Ravi-Beas dispute (Punjab-Haryana) reflects long-standing stalemates.

Way Forward

• Agriculture: Diversify crops, reform MSP, promote micro-irrigation (drip, sprinkler).
• Urban reforms: Universal rainwater harvesting, greywater reuse, pricing water to discourage waste.
• River disputes: Strengthen river basin authorities; adopt cooperative federalism and technology-based allocation.
• Community initiatives: Revival of traditional harvesting systems (stepwells, tanks).
• Policy shift: Implement the National Water Policy (2021 draft) which emphasizes Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM), demand-side management, and participatory irrigation.
• Adopt the “One Water Approach” : Treating all water sources—surface water, groundwater, rainwater, treated wastewater—as a single interconnected resource for sustainable use.
• River Interlinking: Explore interlinking projects selectively to balance regional water availability, ensuring ecological safeguards and equitable distribution.

Conclusion:

India’s water crisis is driven less by scarcity and more by inefficient management, inequitable use, and weak governance. Addressing these challenges requires reforms in agriculture, urban water systems, and interstate river management. Aligning policies with SDG-6 – ensuring sustainable water and sanitation for all will be key to securing India’s water future.