24 july 2019
Photograph by Mandar DeodharGoinG throuGh the electionmanifestos
of political parties during the recent
general elections, I noticed that almost
every party had promised piped water to
homes everywhere. There was not a
peep about the looming water crisis,
though. How can you provide water
when there is none to supply?
India is currently reeling under a
severe water crisis in 365 districts spread
across 17 states. The nature of the crisis
itself is quite diverse. There are drought
conditions in parts of Maharashtra and
Karnataka, with no access to water for
humans, cattle or agriculture. According
to a NITI Aayog report last year, as many
as 600 million people in India were faced
with high to extreme water crisis and
21 large cities—including Delhi, Benga-luru, Hyderabad and Chennai—will
have no groundwater left by 2020. That’s
next year.
Cape Town in South Africa hit inter-
national headlines last year, as it hurtled
towards ‘Day Zero’, when the taps in the
city would have gone dry. Some Indian
cities such as Shimla and Jaipur, may
face ‘Day Zero’ this year if monsoon
rains are erratic.
I fear for the future of my country as
more and more people from water-
starved rural areas migrate to urban
settlements in search of water and liveli-
hoods. This will change the landscape of
our cities forever, putting a massive
amount of pressure on the system.
I foresee a time when water resources
will be protected by gun-toting guardsThere’s a water emergency looming over us.
The need of the hour is action
by Rajendra Singh
As told to V. KumArAswAmyWe Need a Law for
Water Security
CONVERSATIONS