World Water Day
Water blues
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As we observe the World Water Day on March 22, Avani Jain highlights the umpteen water conflicts in the country that remain unresolved and stresses on the need for efficient water management to avoid a crisis situation. |
Over the years, water has been the issue of concern for developing countries like India. Politicisation of water resources, disputes over sharing of water between the states, water shortage, scarce rainfall, water cuts, rain water run-off to the sea or rain water going to drain without being used, loading of rivers with biological and industrial wastes, debates on construction of dams, over exploitation of ground water, lack of water for irrigation, water pollution, waste water disposal, poor quality of water are some of the major problems that India and the world at large are facing in the modern times.
Water politics
Politicisation of water is one of the major problems in India. Water is such a volatile subject that the politicians often utilise it to fill in their vote banks. The Constitution does not recognise water as a finite source. At the time of independence, water was available in abundance and so it was taken under the state subjects but now the situation has changed. Water has become a scarce resource and if proper action is not taken then we might not be left with enough potable water for the growing population. But the policy makers fail to recognise this and this has led to the non-formation of universal water laws in India as it falls under the state subjects and the laws might differ from state to state. This, in turn, has given rise to water disputes between the states. Although water dispute tribunal boards are set up to solve water issues between states the disputes remain unresolved.
There are umpteen number of examples of water disputes between various states of India. The Cauvery water dispute between Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, Godavari water dispute between Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, dispute over Mulla Periyar Dam between Tamil Nadu and Kerala are some examples. Although dams are considered to be reservoirs of water, there are protests over its environmental and social impacts. In India, the dam project on the Narmada river has generated a long-drawn agitation led by the Narmada Bachao Andolan.
Globally too such debates prevail. The Baglihar Dam built on the Chenab river leading to dispute between India and Pakistan and Farraka Barage built on the river Ganges leading to dispute between India and Bangladesh are some of the glaring problems between the countries relating to water.
Reasons for shortage
By 2030, a global deficit of 40% is forecasted. For India alone, the annual demand for water is expected to increase to almost 1,500 cubic km., against a projected availability of 744 cubic km.; a deficit of 50%. The major reason behind this water shortage in India is ineffective use of surface water which leads to freshwater run-off. Some of the large basins have become closed basins because the river water no longer meets the sea. It is a fact that almost about a quarter of India is experiencing drought conditions due to uneven and irregular monsoons. The other reasons for scanty rainfall are deforestation and climatic changes caused due to global warming. This water shortage is ultimately leading to water cuts in various parts of the country.
Over exploitation of ground water is another issue in India because it is the source of drinking water for a significant majority of India’s population and it meets substantial requirements of irrigation too. The heavy demand for ground water for irrigation could lead to severe and widespread water shortages for 114 million people residing in the northwestern states of Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi.
Water pollution is another serious issue in India and a good example of this is river Ganga which is no more ‘pure’ because of pollution. The Asian rivers are considered to be the most polluted in the world, with three times as many bacteria from human waste as the global average. This water pollution is caused due to various reasons like industrial discharge of chemical wastes and byproducts, discharge of poorly-treated or untreated sewage, surface run-off containing pesticides, herbicides and spilled petroleum products, surface run-off from construction sites, farms, or paved and other impervious surfaces, for example, silt, discharge of contaminated water used for industrial processes, acid rain caused by industrial discharge of sulphur dioxide and excess nutrients added by run-off containing detergents or fertilisers. No doubt, there are ways to curb water pollution but still they are not put to practice in an efficient manner thereby severely affecting the quality of water.
Decline of water quality
Quality of water is critical to ensure an healthy environment and human health but worldwide water quality is declining due to many reasons. Rapid urbanisation, increasing population growth, discharge of chemicals from industries, lack of sewage water treatment facilities and agricultural water run-off are key factors that contribute to the deterioration of water quality. The lack of prioritisation of water quality in many countries has resulted in decreased allocation of resources, weak institutions and lack of coordination in addressing water quality challenges.
The quality of water is supposed to be the worst in India due to major reasons like high level of pollution, inefficient or no waste water management, massive population growth and drastic climatic changes. Lack of proper sanitation and water quality is leading to many deaths and diseases every year. It is estimated that 21% of communicable diseases in India are related to unsafe water. Diarrhoea alone causes more than 1,600 deaths daily (www.globalcleanwater.org).
Last but not the least at the heart of numerous water conflicts, lies a competitive, unsustainable demand for water. Therefore, enhancing the water quality, increasing the efficiency of water used in agriculture and industry and minimising wastage, are objectives which should be achieved.
Keeping all these issues in mind, the celebration of World Water Day on every 22nd March is surely one of the many steps taken to build awareness about the importance of water. This day is dedicated to issues related to water. Every year, a theme is taken up to highlight problems related to water. Last year, the theme was ‘Shared Water - Shared Opportunities’ with special focus on transboundary water, and in 2008, it was ‘Sanitation’. The theme this year is ‘Communicating Water Quality Challenges and Opportunities’ as it is estimated that still around 1.1 billion people all over the world rely on unsafe drinking water sources. So this day will focus on raising awareness on water quality and issues related to it. Now, it’s upon us as to how we utilise this day and take a step (small or big) towards saving water and avoid a crisis.
The writer is presently doing Master of Mass Communication (Journalism) from Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune.