Background:

• The Global Water System Project, which was launched in 2003 as a joint initiative of the Earth System Science Partnership (ESSP) and Global Environmental Change (GEC) programme, epitomizes global concern about the human-induced transformation of fresh water and its impact on the earth system and society. 

Fresh water, water valuation:

• Fourth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2007 highlighted the link between societal vulnerability and modifications of water systems. 
• It is globally estimated that the gap between demand for and supply of freshwater may reach up to 40% by 2030 if present practices continue. 
• The latest UN World Water Development Report, 2021, titled ‘Valuing Water’, has laid stress on the proper valuation of water by considering five interrelated perspectives: 

1. Water sources
2. Water infrastructure
3. Water services
4. Water as an input to production 
5. Socio-economic development  and sociocultural values of water. 

Inter-basin transfer projects:

• The intra- and inter-basin transfer (IBT) of water is a major hydrological intervention to rectify the imbalance in water availability due to naturally prevailing unequal distribution of water resources within a given territory. 
• The National River Linking Project of India is under construction which is one of the projects of IBT initiatives across the world.
• These projects, if executed, will create artificial water courses that are more than twice the length of the earth’s equator and will transfer 1,910 km3 of water annually. 
• The World Wildlife Fund/World Wide Fund for Nature (2009) has suggested a cautious approach and the necessity to adhere to sustainability principles set out by the World Commission on Dams while taking up IBT projects. 

Some of the key assumptions:

• The Ken Betwa river link project which is a part of the National River Linking project (mooted in 1970 and revived in 1999) raises larger questions about hydrological assumptions and the use and the management of freshwater resources in the country.

1. The basic premise of IBT is to export water from the surplus basin to a deficit basin. 
2. However, there is contestation on the concept of the surplus and deficit basin itself as the exercise is substantially hydrological. 
3. Water demand within the donor basin by factoring present and future land use, especially cropping patterns, population growth, urbanisation, industrialisation, socio-economic development and environmental flow are hardly worked out. 
4. Besides this, rainfall in many surplus basins has been reported as declining. The status of the surplus basin may alter if these issues are considered. 
5. There is concern about the present capacity utilisation of water resources created in the country.

• By 2016, India created an irrigation potential for 112 million hectares, but the gross irrigated area was 93 million hectares. 
• There is a 19% gap, which is more in the case of canal irrigation. 
• In 1950-51, canal irrigation used to contribute 40% of net irrigated area, but by 2014-15, the net irrigated area under canal irrigation came down to less than 24%. 
• Ground water irrigation now covers 62.8% of net irrigated area. 
• The average water use efficiency of irrigation projects in India is only 38% against 50%-60% in the case of developed countries.

Agriculture, grey water use:

• The agriculture sector uses a little over 90% of total water use in India.
• In industrial plants, consumption is 2 times to 3.5 times higher per unit of production of similar plants in other countries. 
• Similarly, the domestic sector experiences a 30% to 40% loss of water due to leakage. 
• Grey water is hardly used in our country. 
• It is estimated that 55% to 75% of domestic water use turns into grey water depending on its nature of use, people’s habits, climatic conditions, etc. 
• At present, average water consumption in the domestic sector in urban areas is 135 litres to 196 litres a head a day.
• The discharge of untreated grey water and industrial effluents into freshwater bodies is cause for concern. 
• The situation will be further complicated if groundwater is affected.
• Apart from the inefficient use of water in all sectors, there is also a reduction in natural storage capacity and deterioration in catchment efficiency.

Planning ahead:

• Looking into these issues may not be adequate to address all the problems. 
• Nevertheless, these measures will help to reduce demand supply gap in many places, and the remaining areas of scarcity can be catered to using small-scale projects.
• A hybrid water management system is necessary, where (along with professionals and policy makers) the individual, a community and society have definite roles in the value chain. 

Conclusion:

To help achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) on water availability and sanitation for all by 2030 (SDG 6) it says: “to ensure safe drinking water and sanitation for all, focusing on the sustainable management of water resources, wastewater and ecosystems….”