Water Scarcity in India: Impact, Causes, and Governmental Initiatives

Water Scarcity in India
Introduction
Water is the most vital constituent of this world, without which any form of life
cannot survive. Less than 3% of Earth’s total water cover is Freshwater, which is the major
source of potable water, and is availed for human consumption (Holland, et al., 2015).
However, due to the imbalance between water supply and demand, many places on earth
have water scarcity, which is projected as the largest global risk which would affect the world
in the near future. Water scarcity can be either physical, which means that there is an
inadequacy of natural water sources in the area causing a water crisis, or can be economic,
which means that there in an inadequacy in managing water distribution from the available
sources, thereby creating a water supply and demand mismatch. Both types of scarcity affect
life very badly, causing a deficit of drinking water, sanitation issues, poor crop management,
and conflicts over water.
India, having the world’s second largest population, faces the problem of water
scarcity in varying intensities owing to a diverse geography and unequal distribution of
resources (Mekonnen & Hoekstra, 2016). However, much of India’s water problems are
economic, caused by poor management and exploitation of the available water resources for
capital gains. Lack of sanitation, the increasing burden of overpopulation, and poor waste
disposal management has caused pollution of the water bodies, due to garbage and chemical
wastes being dumped into lakes and rivers. Lack of proper toilets and a stigma associated
with having a toilet at homes leads to many people defecating in the open near water bodies,
leading to contamination of water. The same water being used for utility purposes had led to
increasing water borne diseases and severe health issues (Kumar, Kar, & Jain, 2011).
In this essay, the impact of water scarcity on the development of India as a nation is
discussed. The possible causes of water scarcity, its current standing, and the steps necessary
to take action on the issue in future are also analysed.
Indian Geo-politics and Water Scarcity
The landform of India can be divided into six major regions – the mountainous region
of the north, The Indo-Gangetic fertile plains, the peninsular plateau of the centre, the desert
regions of the west, the coastal plains of the south, and the island bodies. The water
distribution, utility, and management vary with each geographic area, even though these areas
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are geo-politically varied (Khadse, Labhasetwar, & Wate, 2012). For example, the Indo-
Gangetic plains utilize much of the water resource for irrigation purposes, as the land is
fertile for perennial agriculture. The coastal plains utilize much of the available water for
drinking and industrial purposes, as most major cities in India are located near the coasts.
There is a continuing pattern of erratic rainfall, floods, and droughts, and improper
management of water during abundance leads to unavailability of water during low rainfall
and summer regions. Improper water management has led to long standing conflicts between
states sharing a common water source, and this factor has been a key factor for making or
breaking governments (Zeitoun & Mirumachi, 2008).
Indian Agriculture and Water Scarcity
Most of India is an agrarian society, with more than half the overall population
employed in the agriculture sector. Agriculture contributes to more than 18% of India’s total
economy, but is seen to be declining (Gulati, Jain, & Satija, 2014). This mandates the
perennial availability of water in order to sustain the economy. However, water scarcity is a
huge looming issue amidst the farmers, even in fertile plains. This reflects on the poor water
management by the respective state governments that govern the geographical plain areas.
There are many other factors contributing to poor water management in agrarian areas,
including uncontrolled population which pulls more water resources for consumption,
improper crop selection by farmers choosing to harvest high water consuming crops in water
stressed areas, increased illegal consumption of water by corporate companies and housing
societies that lead to less water availability for agriculture, illegal sand mining, water
pollution, and unwanted damming of rivers (Mollinga, 2008).
The impact of water Scarcity in India
Water scarcity has caused a lot of negative impacts in the Indian society. To name a
few, it is attributed as a main cause of diminishing agricultural yields, resulting in lesser
people returning to the profession every season, and increasing farmer suicides in India
(Mohanty, 2013). The economy of a political entity is grossly affected if the citizens are not
in good health. Deficit of Freshwater due to illegal encroachments of lakes and rivers has
caused the unavailability of potable water to the citizens, leading to an increase in water-
borne diseases. This leads to food insecurity, unemployment, and migration of people to
greener pastures, negatively impacting the state’s economy. Water scarcity has a serious
impact on wildlife as well, and there have been reported instances of deaths of wild flora and
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