Society

World Water Day: India's Water Crisis and Solutions Timeline

India is water-stressed on average: 1,486 cubic metres per person for 2021, below the 1,700 stress line. The problem is timing, place, pollution and over-pumpe…

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THE DAM ERA

Store water, irrigate, power

Big dams and canals for irrigation, hydropower and flood control. Then tube wells made groundwater the main source of irrigation.

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FIRST WATER POLICY

Drinking water comes first

Water is mainly a State subject. The Centre funds and guides. A 2021 draft of a new policy has not been adopted.

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WORLD WATER DAY

22 March, every year

The UN made it World Day for Water after the Rio Earth Summit. It now backs SDG 6: safe water and sanitation for all by 2030.

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BELOW THE STRESS LINE

1,545 m3 per person

On average, yes. The CWC's 2019 reassessment gives 1,486 m3 for 2021 and 1,367 for 2031. Averages hide big regional gaps.

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CHENNAI RUNS DRY

Reservoirs empty, tankers roll

Chennai's four main reservoirs nearly dried up. The Ministry of Jal Shakti was formed, and Jal Shakti Abhiyan targeted 256 districts.

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JAL JEEVAN MISSION

A tap in every rural home

Only 3.23 crore rural homes, 16.72%, had tap water at launch. The goal: 55 litres per person per day.

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ATAL BHUJAL

Villages budget their groundwater

Villages publish water levels and plan use. About 9 lakh hectares moved to efficient irrigation; 1,603 panchayats saw levels improve.

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CATCH THE RAIN

Where it falls, when it falls

Ponds, recharge pits and revived water bodies. 1.58 crore recharge structures are now reported.

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AMRUT 2.0

Water-secure cities

Target: 20% of city demand and 40% of industrial demand from recycled water. AMRUT has added 4,447 MLD of treatment capacity.

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GROUNDWATER CHECK

10.8% of blocks over-pumped

Nationally, slightly: over-exploited blocks fell from 17.2% in 2017 to 10.8%. Extraction is 247 BCM a year, mostly for farms.

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JJM 2.0

Service, not just connections

The mission runs to December 2028 with Rs 8.69 lakh crore. Focus: daily, safe, adequate water run by panchayats.

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WATER AND GENDER

Where water flows, equality grows

Where water is not at home, women mostly fetch it. The UN wants women to share decisions on how water is managed.

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82% TAPS

15.89 crore of 19.36 crore homes

Rural tap coverage went from 16.72% in 2019 to 82.09%. The next test is whether water flows every day.

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THE REAL TEST

Use today's water, keep tomorrow's

Save, store, protect, reuse and govern with data. The question is no longer only where water comes from, but whether it lasts.

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