26 April 2025: The Hindu Editorial Analysis
1. A grim picture of India’s water reality
(Source – The Hindu, Page 7 (Op-Ed), 26 April 2025)
| Topic: GS Paper 2 – Governance and Public Policy |
| Context |
|
1. India’s Water Crisis: Current Scenario
- Per Capita Water Availability:
Has declined from 5,177 cubic meters/year in 1951 to 1,486 cubic meters/year in 2021 — dangerously close to water-stressed classification (<1700 m³/year). - Groundwater Depletion:
India is the largest extractor of groundwater globally, using more groundwater annually than the U.S. and China combined. - Urban Water Stress:
21 Indian cities, including Delhi, Bengaluru, and Chennai, are expected to run out of groundwater by 2030 according to NITI Aayog.
(Source: NITI Aayog Water Report)
2. Structural and Governance Failures
- Fragmented Institutional Framework:
Overlapping responsibilities between Central Water Commission, State Water Boards, Urban Local Bodies — leading to poor coordination. - Policy-Implementation Gap:
Despite policies like the National Water Policy (2012) and Atal Bhujal Yojana, outcomes have been sub-optimal. - Lack of Public Awareness and Behavioral Change:
Water conservation is still not a mass movement except in isolated successful cases (e.g., Rajasthan’s traditional johads revival).
3. Impact of Climate Change on Water Availability
- Erratic Rainfall Patterns:
Increase in frequency of floods and droughts; monsoon becoming more intense but shorter in duration. - Shrinking Glaciers:
Himalayan glaciers feeding major rivers like Ganga, Brahmaputra are retreating faster, threatening long-term water security.
(Source: IPCC Report + IMD Data)
4. Regional Disparities in Water Stress
- Punjab, Haryana:
Facing critical groundwater over-exploitation — over 70% of blocks are ‘dark zones’. - Bundelkhand, Marathwada:
Perennial drought-prone zones, leading to mass migration and agrarian distress. - Eastern States (Bihar, Odisha, Assam):
Suffer from annual floods despite abundant water — due to poor drainage and mismanagement.
5. Solutions and Way Forward
A. Demand-Side Management
- Promote water-efficient agriculture (like drip irrigation, crop diversification).
- Incentivize less water-intensive crops (shift from paddy/sugarcane to millets, pulses).
B. Urban Water Reforms
- Rainwater harvesting mandatory in cities.
- Rejuvenate urban lakes, ponds as decentralized reservoirs.
C. Groundwater Regulation
- Implement strict licensing and monitoring for groundwater extraction.
- Use smart metering for agricultural and industrial groundwater use.
D. Strengthen Climate Resilience
- Expand coverage under State Action Plans on Climate Change (SAPCCs) to include micro-level water stress management.
E. Public Participation
- Replicate success models like Hiware Bazar (Maharashtra) and Ralegan Siddhi at the village level.
Conclusion
India’s looming water crisis is not merely a resource issue; it is a governance, equity, and survival issue. Without urgent structural reforms, better federal coordination, climate-adaptive planning, and mass behavioral change, India risks catastrophic social and economic consequences. Water security must be prioritized at par with energy and food security for sustainable national development.
| Practice Question: “India’s water crisis is as much a result of mismanagement and policy failure as it is of environmental factors. Critically examine. Also, suggest a multi-pronged strategy for ensuring water security in India.” (250 words / 15 marks) |
Read more – 25 April 2025 : The Hindu Editorial Analysis
