The Great Indian Thirst

The country is staring at a grave water crisis unless we get our act together, and fast

- Raj Chengappa

600 million No. of people who face high to extreme water stress

75% Percentage of households that do not have drinking water on-premise. 84% of rural households lack access to piped water

70% Percentage of our water that is contaminated; India currently ranks 120th among 122 cou­ntries in the water quality index

6% Percentage of GDP we will lose by 2050 due to water crisis if it’s business­as­usual

Source: NITI Aayog Water Report, 2018

More than 2,500 years ago, when the Indus Valley Civi­lisation had reached its zenith, it mysteriously lost its efful­gence and disappeared suddenly. Many archaeologists believe it was due to a catastrophic water scarcity caused either by shifting rivers or by drastic climate change that forced people to abandon city settlements. The civilisation all but vanished except for the ruins it left behind, which were discovered only in the 20th century.

Ominously for India, history seems to be repeating itself. A NITI Aayog report in 2018 stated bluntly that 600 million people, or nearly half of India’s population, face extreme water stress. That three­fourths of India’s rural households do not have piped, potable water and rely on sources that pose a serious health risk. That India has become the world’s largest extractor of groundwater, accounting for 25 per cent of the total. That 70 per cent of our sources are contaminated and our major rivers are dying because of pollution. Its conclusion: ‘India is suffering from its worst water crisis in its history.’