India’s Looming Water Crisis: From Scarcity to Sustainability

Water is essential for all living beings to survive. Despite the Earth being covered by about 71 per cent water-across oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, and other bodies — only a small fraction is fresh and usable.

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Oceans are vast, continuous expanses of saltwater, while seas, though smaller and land-enclosed, are directly linked to human livelihoods. However, freshwater makes up just 2.5 per cent of the Earth's total water, with 98.8 per cent of it locked away in ice caps and underground aquifers. A mere 0.3 per cent is readily accessible in rivers, lakes, and the atmosphere. With the intensifying threat of climate change, rising populations, deforestation, air pollution, and soil degradation, the availability and management of freshwater will be critical in determining the future of life on Earth.

For a country like India, the challenge is even more severe. Hosting 145 crore people on only 2.4 per cent of the world’s landmass, India’s water crisis is already taking a toll on health, agriculture, and urban infrastructure.

India holds about 4 per cent of the world’s freshwater resources and receives nearly 115 inches (or 2900 mm) of rainfall annually. However, this rainfall is highly uneven — both spatially and seasonally — with nearly 75 per cent falling between June and September. Moreover, most of India's domestic needs (85 per cent) and a significant portion of agriculture (70 per cent) depend on groundwater. This makes the sustainability of aquifers absolutely crucial.