WATER CRISIS IN INDIA

Water Crisis in India

About 330 million people in India has been facing severe droughts issues this year. The coal-fired power plants-the major source of India’s electricity are facing huge deficits of water, resulting in energy crisis.  The height of the issue can be understood for the government’s order to appoint armed guards to prevent desperate farmers from stealing water.

The major reasons for the Water Crisis that we face today are

• sharp decrease in groundwater levels under northern India’s irrigated fields of wheat, rice and barley.
• Illegal removal of sand that is  important to allow water to percolate into underground aquifers, from riverbeds.
• Climate Change and global warming
• Incidents of increased heat waves
• Poor water quality due to arsenic and other chemical contamination.

Steps taken by Central Government

• Under Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY), for separation of agriculture and non-agriculture feeders facilitating judicious rostering of supply to agricultural & non-agricultural consumers in the rural areas.
• Water Trains to Latur, the worst drought hit area of Maharastra.
• Water being a state subject, state governments are taking necessary steps in their territories to tackle the issue.
• Pradhan Mantri Fasal Beema Yojana (PMFBY) – crop insurance scheme
• PM Krishi Sinchayee Yojana– Irrigation Scheme that includes water harvesting and water conservation measures.
• Namami Gange– To reduce pollution in the perennial waters of Ganga.

Apart from the governmental intervention, there are many measures that “we as citizens” responsible to the country and nature can take.

• Try to minimize usage of water- Water is precious.
• Turn off pipes tightly after usage.
• Rain harvesting tanks can be built in our homes etc.
• Use more efficient irrigation techniques in our farms.