Relevance: GS 1: Changes in critical geographical features (including water bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes;

Relevance: GS 3: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

Key Phrases: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), severe water shortages, water scarcity, Central Water Commission, Falkenmark Water Stress Indicator, Groundwater overexploitation, Drip, and Sprinkler Irrigation, Water Accounting Method.

Context:

• Water-related battles have been on the rise not only in India but in most parts of the world.
• The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warns that two-thirds of the world’s population will face severe water shortages in 2025.

MAJOR REASONS FOR WATER SCARCITY:

• Increasing water demand:
  • Data from the Ministry of Water Resources show the amount of water that can be used per year is 1,123 bcm (billion cubic meters).
    • Of this, 690 bcm can be drawn from surface sources (rivers, tanks, etc) and 433 bcm from groundwater.
  • But the water demand has multiplied due to
    • the ever-increasing population and
    • rapid changes in agriculture and industrial development.
  • The Central Water Commission has projected that the country’s total water requirement will increase from 634 bcm in 2000 to 1,093 bcm in 2025 and further to 1,447 bcm in 2050.
    • India’s total water demand will exceed its utilisable water reserves very soon.
    • This does not mean that there is no water scarcity at present. Water scarcity is already rampant in different regions of the country.
  • As per Falkenmark Water Stress Indicator, about 76 percent of the people in India are currently facing water scarcity.
    • Out of the total 20 major river basins classified by the Central Water Commission, only nine have no serious water scarcity at present.

• Low efficiency in the agricultural sector:
  • In the widely used conventional surface irrigation method, water use efficiency is just 35-40 percent. Approximately 60 percent of the water is lost through conveyance and distribution.
  • Canal irrigation:
    • About 18 million hectares are presently cultivated using canal irrigation.
    • The report of the Committee on Pricing of Irrigation Water (1992), set up by the Central Government, and the working group of medium and large irrigation projects constituted for the 11th and 12th Five-Year Plans underlined that water use efficiency is pathetic under canal irrigation.
• Groundwater overexploitation
  • Of India’s total irrigated area of 98 million hectares, groundwater accounts for about 65 percent.
  • The reports published by the Central Groundwater Board warn that the uncontrolled overexploitation of groundwater is not only depleting water rapidly but also causes various environmental problems.
• Climate Change:
  • There are possibilities that the rapidly changing climate may reduce the spread of rainfall and exacerbate the current water scarcity further.

Sector-wise water use:

• To overcome the scarcity, how much water is being used currently by different sectors needs to be known.
• Of the total 634 bcm of water used in 2000:
  • approximately 85 percent was for agriculture;
  • 7 percent domestic;
  • 2 percent industry and
  • the rest for other uses.
• Major changes in water consumptionare projected to occur between 2000 and 2050.
  • Total water demand is projectedto risefrom 634 bcm to 1,447 bcm;
  • agricultural demand is estimated to increase from 541 bcm to 1,072 bcm;
  • domestic use from 42 bcm to 102 bcm;
  • industrial demand from 8 bcm to 63 bcm and
  • the water needed to generate electricity from just 2 bcm to 130 bcm.
• This means that the consumption by agriculture will decline to 74 percent from the current 85 percent and the demand for industrial and other uses will increase manifold.

Solutions Generally Advocated:

• To combat the increasing water scarcity:
  • Augment the water supply
  • Save water
  • Raising the water storage capacity by building new dams, tanks/ponds, and others.

Is increasing water storage capacity possible?

• The water storage capacity cannot be raised as and when needed.
• The total water potential of a country is more or less static.
• Dams built beyond potential limits will not only be economically unviable but can create ecological damage.
  • For example, the total irrigation potential of our country is 139.90 million hectares, of which, around 85 percent is already developed.
  • Therefore, it is not possible to build new dams and augment the water supply, as the most easily possible irrigation potential has already been utilized.

Pointers to save water:

• Given the increased demand for water and declining water potential, it is necessary to make constructive efforts to increase its efficiency.
• Fixing price:
  • Water has long been considered a free good and, therefore, water use efficiency is very low in all the sectors.
  • Although the pricing of water alone will not completely solve all water-related woes, its efficiency can be increased to a greater extent by fixing its prices on a volumetric basis.
• Drip and Sprinkler Irrigation method:
  • But modern irrigation methods such as drip and sprinkler can not only save at least 50 percent of the water but can also increase crop yields by 40-60 percent, and lower cultivation costs and electricity consumption.
  • The MS Swaminathan Committee (2006) report, ‘More Crop and Income Per Drop of Water’, has underlined the importance of using drip and sprinkler methods of irrigation in crop cultivation.
  • The report of the Task Force on Micro Irrigation (2004) has estimated 70 million hectares as the total potential area for this method of irrigation.
  • At the end of March 2019, about 11.42 million hectares were under this modern irrigation system.
  • Therefore, steps must be taken to increase the adoption of drip and sprinkler methods to save water.
• Water Accounting Method in the Canal Command Area:
  • By introducing a water accounting method in the canal command area during the mid-2000s, Maharashtra was able to increase water use efficiency substantially.
  • A similar water accounting method must be introduced in all the canal command areas across the country to improve water use efficiency.
• Judicious use in the electricity sector:
  • Appropriate pricing of electricity with judicious rationing of electricity supply may help save water for future use.
• Improved Ground-Water Management:
  • The World Bank is helping the supporting the government’s national groundwater program, the Atal Bhujal Yojana, to help improve groundwater management.
• Tracking floods and droughts:
  • India is prone to droughts as well as floods even as climate change is increasing unpredictability in weather patterns and leading to more extreme weather events.
  • Reservoirs can help mitigate these extreme events by storing water and releasing it when needed.
• Community Irrigation Practices:
  • The size of over 87 percent of the landholdings in India is less than 2 hectares, and therefore, having community irrigation practices not only helps in the preservation of water assets like ponds, lakes, and groundwater reserves but also ensures its efficient use.
• Sustainable Farming Practices
• Urban Water Management

Conclusion:

• In a country of 135 crore people, increased water scarcity can cause severe food shortages and increase the incidence of poverty as well.
• The opportunities to increase water storage are continuously shrinking, but the water demand has been increasing.
• Therefore, tough decisions have to be taken to avert the looming water scarcity.
• For India to hit the $5 trillion economy mark in the next 10 years, averting the water crisis will be important.
• Policymaking must start with farmers and gradually address all the issues on a local level, rural and urban.

Source: The Hindu BL

Mains Question:

Q. Explain the reasons for water scarcity in India and give some suggestions to save water for future generations.