If a latest United Nations Development Program (UNDP) report is to be believed, India faces a turbulent water future as demand for India's water is expected to exceed all its sources of supply. So India's most serious challenge in the 21st century might not be war or hunger or poverty but the lack of fresh water.
The report which is based on 12 papers commissioned by the bank from prominent Indian practitioners and policy analysts is titled India’s Water Economy: Bracing for a Turbulent Future and examines the challenges facing India’s water sector and suggests measures to address them.
A big difficulty with water is that, at least in the rich West, it is largely taken for granted. After all, it is the most widely-occurring substance, most of the planet being H2O. But the words of Coleridge are apposite: "Water, water everywhere", as the Ancient Mariner said, "Nor any drop to drink".
According to the report, most of India’s irrigation needs and its domestic water supplies come from groundwater. Though this practice has helped people to cope, it has led to rapidly declining water tables and is no longer sustainable.
The report suggests immediate action as India’s dams can store only 200 cubic meters of water per person. Other middle-income countries like China, South Africa, and Mexico can store up to 1000. India has used only about 20 per cent of its hydropower potential, as compared to 80 per cent in developed countries
There is a lot that Indian planners and policymakers can learn from this landmark report from a mainstream agency. Unfortunately, the Indian government is proceeding down a suicidal path in pushing for commercial and corporate agriculture.
| Set as homepage 
| Add to favorites 
|
