India will face a severe water crisis in 20 years if the government does not change its ways, the World Bank warned Wednesday stating that India has no proper water management system in place, its groundwater is disappearing and river bodies are turning into makeshift sewers.
“Estimates reveal that by 2020, Indias demand for water will exceed all sources of supply,” the report says. With the Indian government unable to provide its citizens a 24-hour supply of water even in the national capital, those who can afford to, have found other ways to turn on the tap. The result is an unregulated system with no incentive to conserve water.
– What has happened in the last 20 or 30 years is a shift to self-provision. Every farmer sinks a tube well and every house in Delhi has a pump pumping groundwater. Once that water stops you get into a situation where towns will not be able to function, said John Briscoe, author of the Bank’s draft country report on India.
The World Bank said the complacency of the Union government over water issues is resulting in “little civil wars” between various stakeholders. It suggested a prioritized, sequenced and pragmatic path be followed to deal with issues concerning availability and usage of scarce water resources.
Briscoe said that water was becoming a big issue and that these “little civil wars” are going on between states; between different users in a basin; between community and state; between farmers and the environment; between farmers and the city; and between farmers and the command areas.
Briscoe attributed the water scarcity in India to complacency on the part of the government. He regretted that not much was being done to prevent excessive exploitation of ground water.
Meanwhile, demand for water is increasing rapidly because of Indias growing population – already above 1 billion – and high economic growth. But increased demand has not been matched by efforts to conserve and better manage water supplies, meaning that the resource is being depleted faster than it can be replenished, Briscoe said.
The report predicted that availability of surface and ground water would decline to less than 80 cubic kilometers (2,8 million cubic feet) in 2050, from about 500 cubic kilometers now.
– Fifty years, in water management, is a blink of the eye. It is an extremely, extremely grave situation, Briscoe noted. About 15 percent of the country’s aquifers are already in critical condition, a number that could increase to 60 percent by 2030, he added.
Briscoe said the problem is more serious for some states, such as Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan in northern India and the southern states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
The Hindustan Times (India) adds that World Bank expert said 84 percent of Indias irrigation is done by way of ground water. Some of the measures suggested by the World Bank include creating awareness by way of advocacy programs on water conservation, especially in rural areas, and limiting the ground water use by laying down proper rules and regulations.
The Bank said the public irrigation departments and water utilities must also be de-monopolized, adding the federal and state governments must seriously consider President A.P.J. Abdul Kalams pet project of interlinking rivers. Additionally, the Bank also warned against economic populism and said people consuming water must pay fair tariff sans any subsidy.
The World Bank outlined some of the projects it will fund over the next four years. These include 700 million US dollar for rural water sanitation, 100 million for urban water and sanitation and 600 million for hydroelectric projects.
In addition, funding will be provided for information systems, watershed management, infrastructure, irrigation and capacity building at a cost of 400 million dollar, besides 200 million towards rural livelihood programs.
Kilde: www.worldbank.org
