Water Challenges in India: Government Policies and Analysis

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of water challenges in India, examining both rural and urban contexts. It explores the impact of population growth, water scarcity, and contamination on various sectors, including agriculture, industry, and public health. The report delves into the historical evolution of water strategies and policies, highlighting key initiatives such as the Environment Hygiene Committee, the Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme, and the National Drinking Water Mission. It identifies specific challenges in rural areas, such as contaminated water sources, groundwater depletion, and the impact of agricultural practices, while also addressing issues in urban settlements. Furthermore, the report analyzes the Indian National Water Policy, planning procedures, and presents a case study of Gujarat's successful response to water challenges, emphasizing innovative implementation strategies. The report concludes by emphasizing the need for proficient situation handling and the implementation of long and short-term plans to mitigate water problems in India, offering valuable insights for effective water management.

Running head: WATER CHALLENGES IN INDIA
WATER CHALLENGES IN INDIA
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Executive Summary
The report shed light on the water challenges and expected the outcome in India. The report has
also analyzed the major problem that contaminated water has created. India has one of the largest
population and urban and rural states in India has faced several problems in India. Government
policies and legislation from the early time period has stated different rules for the water
conservation process, however, all those policies are not promptly implemented and that is the
reason behind the lacking of water challenges. Central, State and Local government interventions
over the water challenges are imposed on that occasion and that signifies the problem situation
and mitigation processes of those hurdles. The importance of Indian National Water Policy and
the effective measure of that policy over the stated proposals are also highlighted in this report to
establish and understand the utility of fresh water. The importance of the policy and the probable
quality analysis of water management and their implementation process has highlighted the case
and provide an exemplary where those necessary inputs have sustained and the positioning of the
state has improved in terms of quality water management. The chosen state was Gujarat and their
water conservation process and theories that their state government has initiated has discussed
for the development. Therefore, it can be concluded that water challenges will be handled if the
proficient mannerism of situation handling and long and short-term plans are implemented in a
proper way. India would mitigate its water problems by applying those strategies and determine
those problems so that Government can again take some quick acceleration over the matter.

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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Analysis of water challenges in Rural Areas...................................................................................4
Period or Phases of water strategies and policies........................................................................5
The possible challenges in rural area...........................................................................................6
Analysis of water challenges in Urban Areas..................................................................................8
Settlement management in Water................................................................................................9
The possible challenges in urban area.......................................................................................10
Indian National Water Policy........................................................................................................13
Challenges of the water management situation in country........................................................13
Planning procedure....................................................................................................................15
Case study of successful response to water challenge in India.....................................................16
Case analysis in Gujarat.............................................................................................................16
Innovative implementation........................................................................................................18
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................19
References......................................................................................................................................22
Appendices....................................................................................................................................29

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Introduction
The major problem in India is population. With the increasing nature of population water
scarcity and water management is the crucial issue for the nation. There are numerous water
sources but most of the sources are not used or it staged for different reasons. In this report, the
possible infrastructure of the water resources and global advancement of water challenges is
discussed. There are two sections in India, Urban and Rural and both these sections are facing
some water challenges and these water challenges create stagnancy in their development in
agriculture, industries, and education as well (Files.Ethz.Ch. 2017). All these things are
interrelated as more than 700 million people are residing in 15 diverse environmental regions
covering about 1.42 million have the facility to contain this facility. Most of the constructive
challenges have faced by them. In a survey, it was proved that 37.7 million Indians are affecting
from the water-borne diseases and these diseases are happened due to contaminated water
(Files.Ethz.Ch. 2017). 1.5 million Children have affected due to diarrhea that impacted over the
huge challenge for the nation. Nation’s economy is also affected by the water problems 73
million working days are lost due to that water contamination. This is the reason behind the
economic fall as people are not coming for work and has created a burden of $600 million in a
year (Thatte, Chandrakant 2017).
As per article 47 in the Indian constitution, providing clean drinking water facility and
improving the public health is the clear motive that Indian Government has stated to their
civilians but most of the people in India suffering from the water contaminated disease
(Chaudhuri, Sriroop and Mimi 2016). The government has taken certain initiatives for the
development of water structure in India and in the 10th plan government has estimated 1,105

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billion rupees for the safe water providence process. This is stated as an argument that the
expenses are enormous but it is also factual that in spite of such outflow lack of secure and
protected drinking water continues to be a major obstacle and a nationalized financial saddle.
Underground water is the major source of water and most of the people intake this water thus as
per the average water availability it is predicted as India will be a water-stressed nation in 2020
(Files.Ethz.Ch. 2017). 85% of the population in India depends on the underground water
resources and that is the reason that underground water is considered as the most important
resources in India (Bajpai et al. 2015). Water quality monitoring is important parts of water
validation and for this reason, more secure water hopefully deliver in most of the places in India.
From the government data analysis, it was found that 91% of urban people and 94% of rural
people are healthy drinking water and that water is not contaminated as well.
Analysis of water challenges in Rural Areas
There are certain water challenges in rural areas, however, there are several plans are not
proceeding accordingly as the initiation from the government is not effective enough to covey
this. A good amount of 1,105 billion rupees has been already invested by the Government and
that was estimated of the safe drinking water. The five-year planning was implemented in 1951
but still, most of the major struggles are imposed over that place and the economic burden and
affect have consolidated that place as well. India only has 4% of freshwater resources and that
will be distributed to the population (Fischer et al. 2015).
The challenges that are controlled by the government of India as 16% of world
population are established in this nation. A huge amount of people have not intake this little
amount of fresh water, rather they have to intake contaminated water which creates the problem

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of the people to sustain their physiological function in a systematic way. Most of the rain or
snow water is considered as the fresh water and around 4000 Billion Cubic Metres (BCM) all
these participate via seas and rivers. So the 92% of underground water is used in the agricultural
sector and industrial and domestic sector as well (Srinivasan et al 2017). Thus the problem arises
when the little amount of water was distributed in all these sectors and consumption of people
was less in that flow. Starting from the early independence there are several policies
implemented by government and several committees are formed in this case to support the
population in terms of providing safe water to their civilians.
Period or Phases of water strategies and policies
The first committee was “The Environment Hygiene Committee (1949)” which will
consolidate the distribution of safe water to 90% people in 40 years’ time frame. There are some
of the program launched and supported by UNICEF and in this phase, 254.90 Crore rupees was
spent and almost 17,000 piped water supply system has been introduced during that time.
In the transition technological implementation, Accelerated Rural Water Supply
Programme (ARWSP) has been introduced in 1972 for the better coverage of drinking water in
India and that program assisted the states and Union territories of India (Dutta et al. 2015). In
1986 The National Drinking Water Mission (NDWM) has formed by the government and that
create a drafting of national water resources policies.
In the session of restructuring system, Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission
(RGNDWM) has introduced in 1991 and that amends the system of drinking water providences
and also constructs and reform the government processes in rural water needed areas. Almost
90% of the infrastructure was funded by the government remaining contribution was made by the

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community contributing (Amerasinghe et al. 2013). The sector initially covers up 67 districts and
all these districts have equally changed their identity by providing a good amount of water to
their region.
At the modern section of the consolidation phase, the process started in 2000 and still this
consolidation process of water development is going in most of the rural areas. The pattern of
Swajaldhara scheme was implemented in 2007 was a five-year plan that has been stated as the
50:50 shares in between state and center. There is no need for community contribution rather the
approach of the 11th five-year plan has encompassed all the individual possibilities like clean
water drinking, access to food, public health care and maintaining hygiene and sanitation
(Ghosh, Ruchira and Arun 2014). All these are inter-related and that becomes an extra burden for
the individual to maintain the economic and physical sustainable condition.
The possible challenges in rural area
In the operational level of water management, there are certain difficulties that have
found by the government while implementing the process (Hoekstra, Arjen 2014). These are the
execution of rural drinking process where 44.5% of funds have been used and 53.5% of the work
has completed. In other words, the additional approach of expenditure and the execution of the
scheme are an important aspect of the government. These challenges are:
 The developmental framework of the key resources of water is the basic factor that
encompasses the water management.
 Contaminated water has iron, nitrates and all other impure impingement that became the
reason behind people suffering as whenever they intake this water health unbalancing
situation was persisted.

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 Groundwater exerting is the major problem for the Indian civilians as most of the people
have this water and for this reason, their agricultural aspect or the general aspect of living
depends on that (Greenstone, Michael, andRema 2014). The quality of water has taken
from the underground level is not at all appropriate in terms of the need for the people in
rural area.
 The fertilizer and the use of pesticides in agricultural field are creating damage to water
and this is the reason water become contaminated and environment get polluted. The
effort for groundwater and rainwater becomes limited if the organic pollutant has mixed
with water and that create a hazardous problem for the rural people.
 The behavioral practice and hygiene maintenance are important for mitigating the
contamination of water and that proclaims secure water deliverance to rural people (Goss
et al. 2014). The profitability and dumping waste sometimes create a problem for the
contamination and for that reason a better profitability and accession is addressed by the
government.
 The Central Water Commission is responsible for the water irrigation and drinking water
processes and that is the reason behind the fresh surface water availability which is
allocated in the Inter-state sessions. All those industries are based on that particular water
availability and that determines the quality of investment in the economic section of the
nation (Sivarasu, ChandiraSekaran, and Karthik 2015).
 The Ministry of Pollution Control Board and State Water Pollution Control Board was
going to make some of the sewage channel systems and these effluents are creating a
passage for the contaminated water and those formulated situations are handled by the
government and community people (Duraiswami et al. 2016).

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 Spreading disease is another challenge that happened due to government intervention as
this is one of the major challenges for the government to provide a good amount of water
hat consolidate the disease maintenance and provide safe water for drinking, though these
are sustained in fewer amounts.
 WHO has reported that 5% of the GDP of the total nation has been estimated for the
public health expenses and that impacted the national economy as well. Most of the
hospital care and critical situation allotment is happened in India due to contaminated
water and government was trying to mitigate that for the long session of the period so that
arising health hazards can be adjusted as well as economic balance is maintained.
Clean water accountability and formulation or the investment that government has done
for the proposed plans are promptly incorporated in some of the sections (Tortajada, Cecilia
2016). Most of the rural places are still same where government initiation and effective policy
implementation is not working at all and people are not intaken secure water as well. In the
article 21 the personal liberty and protection of pollution-free source of water are the major
concern for the government thus their initiation has taken place for the improvement of the water
security (Sharawat et al. 2017).
Analysis of water challenges in Urban Areas
Urban water management is important for the public health as most of the economic
foundations are done in these areas. Public health and environment outcome also leveled with
that issue and that creates the problem for the desired security in water. There are several health
issues due to water and sanitation processes, thus government needs to take some predominant
steps to mitigate this type of situation. Diarrhea is a most common disease in children below 5

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years and 25% of global diarrhea death cases occur in India (Sivarasu et al. 2015). The
decreasing quality of water intake and that provokes the health issues for the urban people
(Hutchings et al. 2016). In the 12th Five year plan, the future approach for the water management
has consolidated and that provoked the stated stages of implementation of the urban settlement.
There are certain city development plans and use of underground water is the major issue of the
sustainable urban water development (Paramashivaiah and Suresh 2016). In case of less than 1,
00,000 people Stage I township is applied. Stage II is imposed for the people in between 1,
00,000 and 1 million. Stage III imposed over 1-5 million. So it was very clear that segmented
version of cities and regions are defined by different stages and that also cover by policies
implemented by the Indian Government (Cronin et al. 2014).
Settlement management in Water
In the urban water management, there are certain proposed strategies that have found for
the location-specific manner of water distribution. The settlements include:
o Reuse of water and focusing on the recycling of water.
o Increase the number of water footprint and reducing the industrial sewage and
contaminated water.
o Use of eco-restorative and implementation of low-cost technologies for the development
of the water (Wang et al. 2016).
o In case of groundwater, the need for sustainable following manner is important.
o Local water bodies are needed to be protected by the government and that initiated the
expansion of better and wider water distribution.

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o Management and distribution of the ware bodes and the water resources are the main
criteria of the urban water planning and that initiate better and secure water
implementation.
o Capacity building is the major distribution that initiated by the local water bodies and that
is the main reason behind water inappropriateness in India (Nair,Shadananan 2016). The
recent water conclave situation will happen when the water conclave will be placed in
New Delhi on 28thNov, 2017.
o Use of thermal power plant is the most important technological assessment that created
enhancement in the water development of India.
Household arrangement and distribution of water in urban areas is the major need that
endorses in this situation. Most of the household (70%) have accessed tap water and 40% of the
urban households have not accessed this facility. In between them, 49% of people have piped
water supply in their premises and that is the reason the fresh water is needed in that as if the
water is getting contaminated then most of the cases people are having this and then that much of
water impacted over that (Pastakia, Astad 2014). As the population has changed the
improvement in an urban water supply is also predicted. 84% of water supply has improved in
this case and that protected the Indian from the contamination of water.
The possible challenges in urban area
The water sewage connection and the conventional way of water distribution are related
to storage, diversion and pipe treatment of the urban area. For the calculated level of the
classification maximum water supply level has estimated at 150% and that develop the water
supply and treatment process in urban areas (World Health Organization, 2015). Sewage and city
planning is the important issue in that case and that will bring up the effective challenges for the

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water management. In that proposed structure, there are certain challenges that urban water
management has to mitigate. In that case, some of the challenges are:
 Local government has a poor view of their water policies and that is the reason behind the
improper water distribution. Water is not properly distributed in all the sectors and that
became the huge challenge for the government (Scott et al. 2015). In other words, the
problem is facing in term of piping system has concerned and related to the decisions
made by the government.
 Another challenge has faced by the urban people is the weak finance of the local
government is having (Nandi, Sangeeta and Shama 2013). As the most of the local
government has not enough money to implement some of the project related to secure
water service and that is the reason safe water is not coming their way. For the better
understanding of urban water management, most of the housing infrastructure needs to be
revised so that proper planning or water supply can sustain (Goss et al. 2014). Most of the
case the adequate mechanism of storage can maintain an operational process and that
defines the small-scale business in terms of water delivery.
 Another major challenge in storage device section is water distribution system and that
analyzes the expansion of covered area in case of critical issues (Chambers 2014). Most
of the distribution losses and essential operational and management system in the urban
areas need to be intervening by the Indian Government as they have to modify the
distribution panel.
 Physical maintenance and operational maintenance both are interrelated to that the
progression of water development and that will create additional water distribution and
losses in terms of maintaining the water sustainability in India (Dutta et al. 2015).