https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/water-management-needs-a-hydro-social-approach/article65208277.ece

Overuse of water resources and a decline in water supplies due to climate change are pushing India closer to the brink of water scarcity. Aside from these, several government policies, particularly those pertaining to agriculture (minimum support price), have resulted in water over-exploitation. Because of these factors, India is a water-stressed economy. In this context, there is a need for follow-up action within the frameworks of cooperative federalism and citizen activism to ensure the long-term utilisation of the stressed water resources.

Status of water depletion in India

• Monsoon -A recent report from the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) shows a’significant’ drop in rainfall in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal over the last three decades, as well as rising variability in monsoons across the country. Furthermore, hydrological conditions vary greatly across regions. While some areas are prone to drought, others are prone to flooding. Although annual precipitation is adequate (around 4,000 bcm), natural run-off is significantly less. Rainwater is less usable due to geological factors such as steep slopes.
• Surface water- According to one recent report, more than 70% of surface irrigation water is simply wasted on a national scale. Due to suboptimal command area development and distribution of water in ill-maintained (and uncovered) canals, water infrastructure is underutilised and often results in heavy soil erosion and siltation.
• Ground water -India has the dubious distinction of being by far the world’s largest user of groundwater, despite the fact that the water table has been falling by an average of 0.4 m across the country. According to reports from Bihar, the water table has recently dropped several feet. Over half of the districts in the state are experiencing or are expected to experience severe groundwater over-exploitation. 

Reasons for water stress

• India is rapidly urbanising. This implies increased demand for water from households, industry, and agriculture. Concretization reduces ground-water replenishment as well.
• Water treatment and reuse are grossly underinvested in. Only about 2% of our cities have both sewerage systems and sewage treatment plants. Over 40,000 million litres of sewage are produced daily in India’s urban areas, but only about one-fifth of this waste is treated
• According to the figures, groundwater meets more than two-thirds of irrigation needs. Groundwater has contributed approximately 85 percent of total irrigation additions over the last four decades. This is clearly unsustainable and will result in a significant depletion of the groundwater table due to over exploitation.The problem is exacerbated by Indian law, which grants landowners exclusive rights to groundwater.
• Due to lax maintenance, there is a large, growing gap between irrigation potential created and that actually used.
• Policy Issues in rain-stressed states such as Punjab and Maharashtra, groundwater is used to cultivate water-intensive crops such as paddy and sugarcane (both promoted by the Green Revolution). Punjab’s state procurement policy and subsidised electricity make rice production profitable for farmers. Similarly, farmers in Maharashtra cultivate sugarcane because they know it will be purchased.
• Water data is frequently untrustworthy and is collected using antiquated techniques and methodologies. In most segments — industrial usage, households, etc. — data is mostly available at the aggregate level, implying that it is less useful for policymaking. The country lacks a centralised water database. In 2016, the Indian parliament’s standing committee on water resources finally recommended the creation of a national groundwater database that would be updated every two years. However, little progress has been made in this area.

India’s efforts

• The Government of India has launched the National Water Mission with the goal of conserving water, reducing waste, and ensuring more equitable distribution both across and within states through integrated water resource development and management. One of the Mission’s objectives is to increase water use efficiency by 20%.
• The Composite Water Management Index was developed by NITI Aayog with the goal of achieving effective water utilisation. The index focuses on issues such as water scarcity and related morass, such as deaths due to a lack of access to safe water, projected increases in demand over time, and effective conservation.
• The formation of the Jal Shakti Ministry (to address water issues holistically) and the Jal Jeevan mission’s goal of providing piped water to all rural households by 2024 are both positive steps.
• The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act is one of the world’s largest government-funded employment programmes. Because of the large workforce employed under the MGNREGA, the government has been able to include water conservation as a project under the Act. Through MGNREGA, the government hopes to improve groundwater harvesting as well as build water conservation and storage mechanisms.
• Jal Kranti Abhiyan: Through block-level water conservation schemes, the government is actively working to revolutionise villages and cities. The Jal Gram Scheme, for example, is part of the Jal Kranti Abhiyan and aims to develop two model villages in water-stressed areas to inspire other villages to practise water conservation and preservation.
• The National Rural Drinking Water Programme aims to provide adequate safe water for drinking, cooking, and other basic domestic needs to all rural residents on a long-term basis.

Way forward

• Rainwater harvesting should be considered as part of urban planning.
• Water-related data systems appear to be severely lacking in coverage, efficiency, and robustness, necessitating the use of information technology to improve them.
• The need to emphasise behavioural change, such as distinguishing between potable and non-potable water usage by citizens, will go a long way toward bringing about a Jan Andolan.
• River revitalization should be a policy priority for both the federal and state governments.
• People often overlook the importance of water conservation because it is usually provided for free or at a low cost. Water pricing can be rationalised while keeping the country’s population’s affordability in mind. Along with this, water reuse, reduction, and recycling should be promoted.
• Conservation agriculture, i.e. farming practises tailored to crop needs and local conditions, is required. In water-stressed areas, cultivating less water-intensive crops such as pulses, millets, and oilseeds should be encouraged.
• Decentralized approach with a strong emphasis on water conservation, source sustainability, storage, and reuse whenever possible. Water governance requires a participatory approach.
• Irrigation system operations and maintenance must be improved for long-term success.

How to structure

1) Give an intro about India’s growing water stress

2)Mention how freshwater is needed at various stages of human life and mention the effects of water shortage briefly.

3) Explain the various measures taken by the government

4) Suggest further measures

5) Conclude