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India.com
6 days ago
- General
- India.com
Water crisis in India: These are the top Indian cities that will face major water crisis by 2030, names are...
Water is an essential element for human survival; however, several parts of the country are experiencing dwindling water sources. Groundwater is depleting. Every summer, numerous rivers dry up. Women are usually seen carrying heavy pots and mutkas, struggling under the scorching sun in search of water. Whereas in urban areas, people are standing in line with buckets outside their homes waiting for water tankers. Even today, many individuals have been counting on water tankers to meet their daily water requirements. This water crisis is not just a shortage — it's a looming catastrophe threatening millions, demanding immediate and decisive action before it's too late. According to a report by Niti Aayog, 20 Indian cities could face a severe water crisis by 2030. The report, as cited by the NDTV, highlights that by 2030, India's water demand will exceed the available supply by two times. Furthermore, the report claimed that 40% of India's population will likely have no access to drinking water by 2030. The report, as cited by the NDTV, highlights that Delhi, Gandhinagar, and Yamunanagar will face severe water crises in the future. Furthermore, Gurugram, Bengaluru, Indore, and Ratlam are also projected to experience water shortages by 2030. Amritsar, Jalandhar, and Ludhiana are presented on the Niti Aayog list. In addition, Agra, Patiala, Hyderabad, and Chennai are other cities likely to see a water crisis by 2030. Jaipur, Ghaziabad, Vellore, Ajmer, Mohali and Bikaner are some of the cities. The report titled 'Composite Water Management Index', published by NITI Aayog in June 2018, mentions that India is undergoing the worst water crisis in its history and nearly 600 million people are facing high to extreme water stress. The report further mentions that India is placed at 120th amongst 122 countries in the water quality index, with nearly 70% of water being contaminated.
Indian Express
25-06-2025
- General
- Indian Express
India is grappling with a water crisis. It must act now
India is grappling with a water crisis that threatens its economic stability, food security, and public health. With 18 per cent of the world's population but only 4 per cent of its freshwater resources, India faces severe water stress, intensified by the relentless impacts of climate change. The NITI Aayog's 2018 Composite Water Management Index warned that 600 million Indians experience high to extreme water stress, and by 2030, water demand could outstrip supply by twofold. The World Resources Institute ranks India 13th among the 17 most water-stressed nations globally, with groundwater levels depleting at an alarming rate — over 60 per cent of irrigated agriculture and 85 per cent of drinking water depend on it. The 2024 Annual Groundwater Quality Report revealed that 70 per cent of India's water sources are contaminated, posing risks to health and livelihoods. Why, then, do we continue with fragmented policies and half-hearted measures when water is the lifeblood of our nation's progress? Climate change is no longer a distant threat but a present-day crisis reshaping India's water landscape. Erratic monsoons, critical to 55 per cent of India's agriculture, have become increasingly unpredictable. A 2024 Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) study found that 55 per cent of tehsils experienced a 10 per cent increase in heavy rainfall over the past decade, triggering floods that devastate crops and infrastructure. Conversely, 33 per cent of India's land is drought-prone, with soil moisture declining in 48 per cent of its geographical area, as per a 2024 Conscious Planet study. Rising temperatures accelerate glacial melt in the Himalayas, threatening the long-term flow of rivers like the Ganga and Indus, which sustain millions. The World Bank projects that climate-induced water scarcity could reduce India's GDP by up to 12 per cent by 2050, potentially resulting in billions of dollars in economic losses. Agriculture, consuming 80 per cent of India's water, is particularly vulnerable to these shifts. The Economic Survey 2018-19 highlighted that a 100mm drop in rainfall reduces farmer incomes by 15 per cent during kharif and 7 per cent during rabi seasons. Climate change could further erode agricultural incomes by 15-18 per cent on average, and up to 25 per cent in unirrigated areas, which cover nearly half of India's farmland. Yet, inefficient irrigation practices and water-intensive crops like rice and sugarcane dominate. Micro-irrigation, which could save up to 50 per cent of water, is used on only 9 per cent of cultivated land despite government subsidies. The Atal Bhujal Yojana, a World Bank-backed initiative, promotes community-led groundwater management in seven water-stressed states, covering 8,000 gram panchayats. While promising, its scale is dwarfed by the crisis. Urban India faces its own water woes. Cities like Bengaluru, Chennai, and Delhi have become symbols of urban water distress. The 2019 Chennai water crisis, when reservoirs dried up, left millions scrambling for water. NITI Aayog predicts that 21 cities, impacting 100 million people, could exhaust groundwater by 2030. Public health is another casualty of water insecurity. Contaminated water, with 70 per cent of sources polluted, claims 2,00,000 lives annually from waterborne diseases, as per NITI Aayog's 2018 data. Fluoride and arsenic contamination affect 230 million people across 19 states, while untreated sewage pollutes rivers like the Yamuna, rendering them unfit for use. The World Bank's 'One Health' framework, which integrates human, animal, and environmental health, could save billions annually by reducing disease burdens. Yet, its implementation remains sluggish. Building climate resilience demands bold, integrated action. The National Water Mission aims to boost water use efficiency by 20 per cent by 2025, but lacks robust baseline data to track progress. Water accounting, as proposed by CEEW, could quantify savings and redirect water to critical sectors. Financial tools like climate bonds and India's Green Credit Programme, launched in 2023, could bridge the adaptation funding gap, which was a mere ₹260 per capita in 2019-20 compared to ₹2,200 for mitigation. The World Bank's $1 billion dam rehabilitation program, modernising 300 large dams, and the Asian Development Bank's $50 million loan for water-harvesting in Meghalaya are steps forward. However, the global water financing gap, estimated at $6.7 trillion by 2030, requires private sector involvement, as seen in countries like Chile and Peru. Community participation is the cornerstone of sustainable water management. The Jal Shakti Abhiyan's push for rainwater harvesting has revived 1,50,000 water bodies since 2019, but awareness and local engagement remain low. Women, who often bear the burden of fetching water, must be central to decision-making. Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), combining nature-based solutions like wetland restoration with technologies like real-time water monitoring, could ensure equitable access. Aligning water, energy, and climate policies is critical to avoid siloed approaches. For instance, solar-powered irrigation could reduce groundwater overuse while cutting carbon emissions. India's water crisis is a clarion call for systemic change. A water-secure economy is the foundation of climate resilience, safeguarding agriculture, urban growth, and public health. The question is not whether we have the tools to act, but whether we have the will to act swiftly and decisively. With 1.4 billion futures at stake, delay is not an option. The writer is Special Advisor for South Asia at Parley Policy Initiative, Republic of Korea
Fashion Value Chain
17-06-2025
- General
- Fashion Value Chain
Revitalizing India's Rivers: Nature-Based Solutions and Policy Approaches for Scalable Action
Prominent environmental specialists, policymakers, government representatives, and civil society leaders convened at a national workshop titled 'Revitalizing India's Rivers: Nature-Based Solutions and Policy Approaches for Scalable Action.' Organized by The Nature Conservancy in India, with support from the Rural India Support Trust (RIST), the one-day event saw the participation of over 70 key stakeholders. The focus of the workshop was the urgent need for integrated, nature-inspired strategies to restore Indias river systems, which are increasingly threatened by pollution, urban development, and climate change. Group Image of the participants from the workshop The workshop, facilitated by Nature Conservancy India Solutions (NCIS), featured insights from more than 20 esteemed speakers and panelists from the government, academic institutions, and international organizations. Distinguished speakers included Sh. Brijendra Swaroop, IFS, Executive Director (Projects), National Mission for Clean Ganga, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Government of India, and Sh. Rajiv Ranjan Mishra (Retd. IAS), Former DG Namami Gange, and Chief Advisor, National Institute of Urban Affairs. L -R Dr Sudipto Chatterjee, DOP, NCIS, Dr Anjali Acharya, MD, NCIS, Sh Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, Ex DG Namami Gange & Sh Brijendra Swaroop, ED, NMCG, Min of Jal Shakti, Dept of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation Dr. Anjali Acharya, Managing Director of Nature Conservancy India Solutions (NCIS), in her address to the participants, emphasized, 'India's rivers are lifelines for over 600 million people, crucial for agriculture, drinking water, and cultural heritage. Nature-based solutions are the scalable answer to restore these vital ecosystems, boost livelihoods, and build climate resilience.' Sh. Brijendra Swaroop, IFS, Executive Director (Projects), National Mission for Clean Ganga, stated, 'Policy frameworks for nature-based solutions with scalable actions must be adapted alongside traditional methods to enhance ecology and invite broader policy support.' Sh. Rajiv Ranjan Mishra (Retd. IAS), Former DG Namami Gange, Chief Advisor, National Institute of Urban Affairs, remarked, 'Our river rejuvenation efforts have progressed significantly. Moving forward, policies and guidelines must adapt and be customized to region-specific requirements, leveraging Nature-based Solutions to meet diverse water system needs.' According to NITI Aayog's Composite Water Management Index (2018), approximately 600 million individuals in India are experiencing high to extreme water stress. River basins such as the Ganga, Narmada, and Godavari face increasing pressures from urbanization, pollution, deforestation, groundwater depletion, sand extraction, and climate-induced hydrological changes. It is projected that fourteen out of twenty river basins in India will experience water stress by 2030. The workshop delved into discussions on 'River Rejuvenation through Nature-Based Solutions', examining the connections between ecological restoration and water security. The session featured insights from Dr. Archana Chatterjee, Programme Manager at IUCN-India, Sh. Gopal Kumar, Deputy Country Representative at IWMI, Dr. Ritesh Kumar, Director of Wetlands International-South Asia, Sh. Suresh Babu, Senior Director at WWF-India, Dr. Partha J Das from Aaranyak, Dr. Ranjana Ray Chaudhuri of TERI, Dr. Sandeep Behera from the National Mission for Clean Ganga, and Dr. Somnath Bandyopadhyay of the Foundation for Ecological Security. Another session titled 'Rivers of India, Stories of Renewal' highlighted the deeper connect of cultural and ecological aspects that play a crucial role in restoring the rivers as living entities bringing along community ownership in building sustainable future pathways. The session was chaired by Sh. Aseem Srivastava, PCCF-HOFF of Madhya Pradesh with contributions from Dr. D N Pandey, former PCCF of Rajasthan, Dr. Amitabh Pande from IGRMS, Bhopal, Dr. Faiyaz A. Khudsar from CEMDE, University of Delhi, Dr. Manish Kumar Goyal from IIT Indore, and Dr. Vikrant Jain from IIT Gandhinagar. The latter part of the workshop featured discussions on 'Legal and Policy Pathways', diving deep to discuss the role of regulatory frameworks supporting conservational efforts. The session also delved in sharing insights on the interconnectedness of the role of civil society, government and community that are vital for river conservation. This session was chaired by Sh. Avi Prasad, IAS, Commissioner-NREGS in Madhya Pradesh, with notable speakers Dr. Syamal Sarkar, former Secretary at the Ministry of Water Resources, Sh. Shawahiq Siddiqui, Advocate at the Ministry of Jal Shakti, and Dr. Ombir Singh from the Forest Research Institute, sharing recommendations and their learnings. The workshop concluded with a session on 'Financing the Future', which concentrated on unlocking the future potential and attention of corporates, multi-lateral agencies and funding institutions to strengthen Public Private Partnership, fostering innovative ways for Nature-based Solutions. Moderated by Dr. Anjali Acharya, Managing Director of Nature Conservancy India, the session featured expert insights from Nidhi Pundhir, SVP, Global CSR at HCLTech, Ishrat Jahan, South Asia Lead at World Economic Forum, Tushar Thakkar, Partner at The Blended Finance Company, and Dr. Sanjib Kumar Sarangi of Indian Grameen Services. The workshop highlighted the necessity for cross-sectoral collaboration, innovative financing, and policy coherence to enhance nature-based solutions for river rejuvenation. The event stressed the importance of cross-sectoral cooperation and community involvement in promoting nature-based solutions, showcased successful pilot initiatives, and urged for stronger policy integration and financial mechanisms to ensure the long-term health of rivers. About The Nature Conservancy in India The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is committed to creating a world where both people and nature can thrive, ensuring the conservation of our lands and waters for future generations. Established in 1951 in the United States, TNC has expanded to become one of the foremost global environmental organizations, actively operating across 79 countries. We work across sectors and borders to tackle the dual challenges of accelerated climate change and unprecedented biodiversity loss. Our science-based approach guides both the focus of our efforts and the strategies we employ to achieve sustainable, long-term outcomes. Grounded by decades of on-ground experience, we maximize our ability to affect change by integrating nature-based solutions, scientific research, technical advisory, evidence-based practices, sustainable financing, and collaborative partnerships. Nature Conservancy India Solutions Pvt Ltd. operates at the unique intersection of India's natural heritage and rapidly growing population. Recognizing the importance of the country's natural resources, we align our mission with the national vision of 'developing without destruction.' We seek science-based solutions to the challenges that emerge at the nexus of conservation and development, offering nature-based approaches with an unwavering commitment to protecting the natural world, focusing on India's diverse ecosystems.
