| Troubled Waters ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ A deep sense of anxiety has crept in about availability of fresh water in countries with large populations. Disputes over the sharing of this precious commodity are not only raising their ugly heads among nations but also within states in India. Examples abound in the form of Cauvery river water sharing between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, providing water for bottling industries, pros and cons for the ambitious project of river inter-linking, control of water sources in villages, over-extraction of groundwater by an individual entity affecting the local aquifer, contamination of a water source by small scale industries and slum dwellings, excessive use of pesticides for agriculture leading to leaching and contamination of ground water, etc. As the resources get rapidly depleted, any form of reasoning like sharing, perceived rights, access and conflict resolution become extremely difficult. Year 2007 has been declared as "Water Year" by the United Nations. The Ministry of Water Resources has asked all stakeholders to join in a concerted effort for formulating appropriate strategies for management and sustainable development of the water sector. The 11 th Plan has laid ample emphasis on water management. Planning and formulation of strategies would be of little consequence if initiatives for action are not carried out. For this, a holistic view has to be taken for involving all stakeholders to integrate their inputs and share their responsibilities. Besides its requirement in agriculture, water for domestic consumption in rapidly expanding townships is assuming great importance. Mega-cities are coming up with high-rise buildings to overcome the shortage of land for construction. This phenomenon does not take care of water requirements, resulting in greater extraction of ground water, consequently depleting aquifers without recharging them. Even the population of talukas is increasing at a fast rate without parallel up gradation of infrastructure. The result is intermittent water supply, water rationing with supply from 30 minutes to two hours per day, long queues awaiting their turn and water tankers for those who can afford to pay. Such a situation should not be acceptable if our country boasts of being one of the fastest growing economies and the government resolving to ensure basic needs of the millions who are still struggling for a decent and healthy livelihood. Conservation and augmentation is assuming great importance. as water has become a scarce resource and its availability is fast receding. We have seen the result where large funds have been spent on setting up hand-pumps in the rural sector and within a short period these have become non-functional due to the lowering of water table. It is a classic example of money going down the drain. Serious thought has to be given to replenish what we withdraw. Water harvesting structures on a large scale have to be put in place. In addition, the important aspect of creating awareness about water availability and its judicious use is the need of the hour. Wastage of water should not be acceptable. Water cannot be seen in isolation. Availability of water would meet domestic needs, help in afforestation and provide clean and healthy environment. Its shortage would lead to unsanitary conditions leading to huge expenditure in health care and reduction of productive time. The natural watersheds would disappear, rivers would turn into drains or dry up, the water table would keep receding, and the forest cover would reduce leading to desertification. Worst of all it would lead to unacceptable climate change with consequences like droughts, floods, destruction of crops and land masses like islands and coastal areas getting literally drowned. Do we have to wait for such calamities to destroy all life forms? We have to sit up, ponder and jointly take affirmative action to prevent doomsday becoming a reality. q
Col Valmiki Katju vkatju@devalt.org Back to Contents |