Water resources increase but crisis looms
NEWDELHI: India’s water resources increased significantly in the 30 years to 2015 despite annual rainfall remaining almost constant, but the country could confront a crisis in the next 30 years because of the poor management of its aquatic assets, according to a study conducted by the Central Water Commission (CWC).
The study, covering the period from 1985 to 2015, said total water availability in 20 river basins was 1,913.60 billion cubic metres (bcm). Availability in three basins decreased and increased by at least 7.4 bcm in 17 others. A previous study, covering 19651988, had estimated availability in the 20 basins at 1,869.35 bcm
Findings of the study, which was completed in October by a CWC team headed by chief engineer Naresh Kumar, have been released at a time when farmers are battling a crisis stemming partly from shortage of water.
The mean annual rainfall for 1985-2015 period was 3,880 bcm, which wasn’t significantly different from the 3,853 bcm recorded in the previous 30-year period.
“The range of rainfall has, by and large, remained constant. Only effective management of resources can make a difference in the future,” commission chair- man Maqsood Hussain said.
A comparison between the two studies showed a reduction in water availability in the Indus (27.78 bcm), Ganga (15.5 bcm) and Brahmaputra (95.56 bcm) basins.
These findings were corroborated by a new study published in the ‘Weather and Climate Extremes’ journal this week. The study, compiled by researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar, also showed that maximum rainfall for 19792015 rose in most of India (with the exception of Gangetic plains, northeast and Jammu and Kashmir). The impact on the Gangetic plain was attributed to a significant reduction in monsoon rain- fall due to increased presence of aerosols in the atmosphere and warming of the Indian Ocean.
The study also spoke of a rise in extreme rainfall events due to anthropogenic (man-made) warming. This trend is likely to become more prominent in southern and central India by mid-century, it added.
The CWC study blamed urbanisation and river channelisation for the adverse impact on groundwater recharge as well as storage capacity of catchments. Hussain, however, said some of these issues can be resolved if the government adopts certain restorative measures in timely manner.
Many studies have predicted that India will be water deficient by 2050 if the current status of utilisation of the water resources continues. A report by Wateraid last month said nearly 163.1 million Indians lack access to clean water close to their homes, more than two-and-a-half times those similarly affected in Ethiopia, which is second in the list.
Government reports have also shown that the country is already water stressed since 2011. “India’s lifeline is groundwater, there is decrease in groundwater availability as extraction and use is increasing and recharge decreases,” Himanshu Thakkar, coordinator, South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers & People, said.