India’s Water Situation

Published on 07 Apr 2025

India's demand for water is rapidly increasing. India's population is predicted to increase from 1.3 billion in 2005 to 1.66 billion in 2050. The process of urbanization will also have a significant impact on development.  In India, 28.2% of people lived in cities in 2007, and by 2050, that number is predicted to rise to 55.2%.

Reasons for developing Water crisis

• Population Growth: India's water resources are under pressure due to the country's rapidly expanding population, urbanization, and industrialization, which raises the country's need for drinking water, sanitation, and industrial operations.

• Example: According to a NITI Aayog report published in 2019 – over 600 million people, or almost half of India’s population, face extreme water stress.

• Agricultural Water Use: India's water use is primarily attributed to agriculture, with irrigation being the biggest user of water. India exported nearly 26,000 million liters of virtual water every year. The most exported products were rice, buffalo meat, and maize. Virtual water trade exactly means what the name implies – the import and export of ‘hidden’ water present in various products, such as textiles, machinery, livestock, and crops. All these require water inevitably for their production.

• Example: About 89% of groundwater is used for irrigation purposes alone, the net irrigated area (NIA) of groundwater has increased from 7.30 million hectares (mha) in 1960–61 to about 48 mha in 2018–19 (MoAFW 2022).

• Groundwater Depletion: Excessive exploitation of groundwater for agriculture, drinking water, and industrial purposes has caused dropping water tables in several places of India.

• Example: In Punjab, 76% of the groundwater blocks are ‘over exploited’

• Pollution and Contamination: Groundwater and surface water sources are contaminated by industrial effluents, agricultural runoff, untreated sewage, and solid waste dumping.

• Example: In 2022, 311 river stretches were polluted in 279 rivers across 30 states and Union Territories. 

• Inefficient Water Management: Water waste, inefficiency, and inequality are caused by antiquated infrastructure, ineffective water management techniques, and bad governance.

• Example: An internal investigation conducted by the PMC water supply department in Pune has found leakage of 60 MLD water from these pipelines.

• Uneven Distribution of Rainfall: Rainfall in India is distributed unevenly, with the monsoon season seeing the most of the country's precipitation. While dry states like Rajasthan and Gujarat experience ongoing water shortages, others like Kerala and Meghalaya see abundant rains.

Effects of Water Scarcity in India

• Health Issues: Infections, illnesses, dehydration, and even death can result from not having access to clean drinking water.

• Example: A report by the NITI Aayog stated that around 2 lakh people die in India every year due to inadequate water supply.

• Decline in Agriculture Productivity: Lack of water can lower crop output, impact food security, and make farming more impoverished.

• Example: Recent studies show that in Central Maharashtra, productivity of sugarcane is expected to decline by around 20% in this time frame, while rainfed sorghum could decline by as much as 18% by 2050.

• Ecosystem Damage: Water scarcity also disturbs the biodiversity and the ecological balance of the ecosystems.

• Example: Wild animals stray into human habitations in search of water, feed in Rayalaseema.

• Economic Losses: Lack of water can have an impact on industrial output, lower energy production, and raise the price of water treatment and supply.

• Example: Around 53.6 percent employed persons left their residences in the 2020-21 period due to scarcity of water, according to the National Sample Survey Organisation's (NSSO)

Government initiatives and policy measures

• National Water Policy: It is a framework for the sustainable management, conservation, and use of the nation's water resources.

• Jal Shakti Abhiyan- Catch the Rain Campaign: The campaign's goal is to collect rainwater before the monsoon season by building artificial recharge structures, reviving ponds and other water features, and developing new water bodies.

• Atal Bhujal Yojana: This is a Rs. 6,000 crore central sector program for community-based sustainable groundwater management.

Way Forward

• Reducing Overconsumption: Water consumption can be measured and managed more successfully with the use of contemporary technologies like IoT, AI, and remote sensing.

• Expanding Water Sources: Explore new or alternative water sources, such as groundwater extraction, aqueducts, desalination, rainwater collection, and water reuse.

• Protecting Water Resources: Restore and preserve the wetlands, forests, rivers, lakes, and soils—all of which are examples of natural resources that supply and manage water.

• Changing Water Policies: Reform the organizations and laws that control the distribution and management of water. This entails establishing precise guidelines and financial incentives for water consumption, conservation, and pricing.

• Using Micro Irrigation Techniques: Drip and sprinkler irrigation can save about 50% of the water used in crop cultivation and boost crop yields by 40–60%, according to the MS Swaminathan committee report on "More Crop and Income Per Drop of Water" (2006).

Tags:
Environment

Keywords:
Water Water conservation Ground water National water policy

Syllabus:
General Studies Paper 3

Topics:
Environment and Climate Change