why our water makes us cry?
acute shortages, increased demand, huge damages due to annual floods and droughts, and extreme contamination define the looming water scarcity2/3rd of hindu kush himalayan glaciers
will melt by 2100
No. of glacial lakes
No. of water bodiesIndia Bhutan Nepal China Myanmar6044877124(^5745)
309
904
India uses only 60% of available water
Figures are for 2016 (Billion Cubic Meter/Year)
Source: PRS India
Floods affected over 5 million hectares of farmland; impacted 18.64 million people
area affected (million hectare) Population affected (million)
over 50% Indian districts are
contaminated with nitrate
and over 40% with iron
Source: Central Ground Water Board; PRS.
Drought prone are
Flood prone area
Maps not to scale
Chemicals States Districts
Nitrate 21 387
Iron 24 297
Fluoride 20 276
arsenic 10 68
7.06
2016
4.47
2015
5.47
2017
26.65
2016
33.20
2015
18.64
2017
4 4
annual water
availability
1,869
usable water
1,123
(surface water: 690
Ground water: 433)
DrouGhts aND DeluGes
The country’s drought-prone areas
(brown shade) lie in the rain-shadow
regions. These include parts of
Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra
Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. The flood-
prone areas largely lie in the huge
Gangetic belt, and the areas around
several rivers such as Indus,
Brahmaputra and Narmada. More than
35,000 people were displaced by floods in
Kerala in 2018. Every year, states such as
Gujarat, West Bengal, Bihar and Assam
are affected by perennial deluges. In
recent times, large cities like Mumbai,
Chennai and Srinagar have faced floods.
cover story
Graphics by SAjI C.S.