NITI AAYOG: India is suffering from the worst water crisis in its history

In June 2018, NITI Aayog came out with a Composite Water Management Index (CWMI) as a useful tool to assess and improve the performance in efficient management of water resources.

The Index and the associated report are expected to:

·      establish a clear baseline and benchmark for state-level performance on key water indicators;

·      uncover and explain how states have progressed on water issues over time, including identifying high-performers and under-performers,

·      thereby inculcating a culture of constructive competition among states; and,

·      identify areas for deeper engagement and investment on the part of the states.

The CWMI is the first comprehensive collection of country-wide water data in India. It is aimed at promoting competitiveness among states, driving them toward effective water governance, and incentivizing improved water management across the country. Further, the close centre-state collaboration involved in the creation and annual updating of the Index is expected to lead to increased federal cooperation in the water sector. Eventually, NITI Aayog plans to develop the Index into a composite, national-level data management platform for all water resources in India.

Key statements in the Index/Report:

·      India is suffering from the worst water crisis in its history and millions of lives and livelihoods are under threat.

·      India is ranked 120th among 122 in water quality index, as nearly 70% of the water is contaminated.

·      Currently, 600 million Indians face high to extreme water stress and about two lakh people die every year due to inadequate access to safe water.

·      The crisis is only going to get worse. By 2030, the country’s water demand is projected to be twice the available supply, implying severe water scarcity for hundreds of millions of people and an eventual 6% loss in the country’s GDP.

·      Indian cities and towns regularly run out water in the summer because they lack the infrastructure to deliver piped water to every home. 21 cities are likely to run out of groundwater by 2020.

·      Rural areas are also badly affected by a lack of access to clean water. They cannot rely on groundwater due to erratic rains and the fact that the groundwater is increasingly used for farming when monsoon rains are delayed or insufficient. This would also threaten food security as 80% of water is used in agriculture.

·      The water requirement by 2050 in high use scenario is likely to be 1180 BCM, whereas the present-day availability is 695 BCM. The total possible availability of water in the country is still lower than this projected demand, at 1137 BCM.

·      Thus, there is an imminent need to deepen our understanding of our water resources and usage and put in place interventions that make our water use efficient and sustainable.

Performance of states:

The Report ranks Gujarat as the best performer in water management in 2016-17 and Jharkhand as the worst. Gujarat is followed by Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra as the best performers. In the North-eastern and Himalayan states, Tripura has been adjudged as the top state in 2016-17, followed by Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Assam. Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are among the worst performing states in water management after Jharkhand.

The ranking is based on various aspects of ground water, restoration of water bodies, irrigation, farm practices, drinking water, policy and governance.

Significant improvements are required in states’ performance across

the following critical indicator themes:

·      Source augmentation and restoration of water bodies

·      Source augmentation (Groundwater)

·      Major and medium irrigation—Supply side management

·      Watershed development—Supply side management,

·      Participatory irrigation practices—Demand side management

·      Sustainable on-farm water use practices—Demand side management

·      Rural drinking water

·      Urban water supply and sanitation

·      Policy and governance