`By 2030, India will have a water deficit of 50%'

`By 2030, India will have a water deficit of 50%'


There has been pressure arising due to water across South Asia. Flash floods in Pakistan and in Ladakh have resulted in widespread devastation. In other parts of India, a water scarcity has resulted in shifting crop-sowing patterns.

As the United Nations (UN) points out in its World Water Development Report, 2009, “Water is linked to the crises of climate change, energy, food supplies and prices, and troubled financial markets...yet, the sector remains plagued by underinvestment, poor governance, and lack of political support.“

The Water Resources Group (WRG) estimates that by 2030, the demand for water in India will rise to 1,500 billion cu. m, against a projected supply of just 740 billon cu. m, representing a deficit of 50%. The situa- tion could be compounded by the impact of climate change, wherein the melting of Himalayan glaciers could reduce the long-run flow of major rivers by 30%-50%.

Water demand WRG projects that by 2030, 1,200 billion cu. m, or 80%, of India's total water demand will be for agriculture--nearly double the levels in 2005. This is mainly due to positive demographics, including rising income, resulting in increasing consumption of foodgrains (rice, wheat, and sugarcane-- crops that have a high water footprint), thereby increasing water demand.

Rapid industrialization and growing urbanization will drive the use of water as a source for industrial output. According to the ministry of water resources, the maximum demand for water will come from the textiles and jute, the iron and steel industry, and food processing. While the rural economy is dependent on water for food production, with growing urbanization water requirements for domestic purposes are also likely to increase.

Water supply According to the World Bank, although total precipitation in India, including snowfall, amounts to close to 4,000 cu. m, 50% of this takes place in 15 days and 90% of the rivers are filled within four months.

India has a large number of water basins, but much of the supply is concentrated in the north and the east.

Indian dams can store only 200 cu. m per capita, compared with 1,000 cu. m in China and 5,000 cu. m in the US. Most of these dams are concentrated in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

Bridging the gap Recognizing the urgent need to bridge the water deficit, there has been some traction on regulatory and reform measures.

The Planning Commission has been given a mandate to prepare a water security action plan, addressing the need for an integrated regulatory authority and the issue of prioritizing the use of groundwater for drinking purposes over irrigation. Other measures include rainwater harvesting and river-linking projects.

WRG has suggested 37 possible measures to close the demand-supply gap for water in India. These include improved germ plasm on rain-fed land, in- vestment in genetic crop development, improved irrigation control, drip irrigation and so on. Two key interesting observations by WRG indicate: 80% of India's water scarcity can be met by improving agriculture's water efficiency, and 80% of this lies in improving agri-productivity rather than supply.

There is a growing acceptance of privatization of water supply as a viable option to bridge the financing gap. Water tariffs in India are negligible, resulting in insufficient revenue generation and a lack of accountability.
Most cities do not have proper water-metering facilities and have poor service delivery.

Given that water management comes under the purview of the Union and state governments, the Five-Year Plans include a number of schemes aimed at tackling India's growing water deficit.

mintmoney@livemint.com