Water Security and Sustainability in India

Abstract

Water is valuable for life, livelihood, economy and ecosystem services, but distributed unevenly. Water scarcity in general and water quality in the particular region, are posing risks to sustainability and quality of life. Indian economy and agricultural practices depend on its rivers, as per an estimate about 80 percent of fresh surface water and 60 percent of ground water have been used by the agricultural sector, but rivers and other water bodies are facing problems of contamination due to domestic waste, sewage, agriculture effluents of chemical fertilizers and discharge of industrial effluents. Domestic waste is drained out as waste and ends up flowing into various water bodies which leads to pollution of water sources. The careful utilizing of river water is the biggest challenge. Losses are also due to traditional way of irrigation which increases the problem of water scarcity. For sustainability of livelihood and maintaining quality of life, it is essential to have sufficient water availability even in the phase of climate change. The national drinking water programme and accelerated urban water supply programme aim to provide universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all by 2030. It is time to value every drop of water and rejuvenate our traditional water bodies, clean rivers, recharge ground water, collect rain water and successful implementation of technology for achieving water resource management.