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INDEPTH STATE OF SECTOR 32

WATER SECTOR: REFORM & PERFORM By Subhash Sethi, Chairman, SPML Infra Limited

India is facing an alarming that provides an invaluable buffer challenge. A large size of the population is deprived between monsoons is severely depleted and in of clean facilities at their premises. danger of being irreversibly lost. This is perceived The ever increasing demand of due as a symptom of the larger problem that would to rapidly developing economy, industrializing and affect efficient water management in a country urbanizing society are faced with limited aspiring to be an economic super power and the augmentation. most populous on the planet in few years’ time.

India is the host of approximately 18 percent of The Central Control Board (CPCB) has the world’s population, holds only about 4 percent found that 18 major in India are unfit for of global water . With just a friction of any domestic and industrial water use. The Niti world’s fresh water, imagine the crisis that out Aayog has flagged the issue saying that the water of the very limited water availability, almost 80 situation in the country is reasonably stressful percent of our is contaminated. and around 100 million people will be affected by Nearly 60 percent of India’s ground water the shortage of groundwater in 21 Indian cities reserves are contaminated with biological, including the mega cities of Delhi, Bengaluru, organic, and inorganic . Across India, the Chennai and . They also highlighted

19 MLD , Gagreen, Rajasthan

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600 million people in India is facing severe to extreme water scarcity and the number will keep on increasing unless strong measures for water source augmentation is not taken rapidly.

that more than 600 million populations in India is facing severe to extreme water scarcity and the number will keep on increasing unless strong measures for replenishing of water sources is not taken instantaneously.

India, by extracting more groundwater way beyond the permissible limit has already reached 500 MLD Water Pumping Station, Bangalore a point where disruptions may pose a difficult political and economic challenge. industrial needs are fulfilled from the ground distribution, which is a much bigger challenge. A The country is also amongst the largest users of water sources. huge part of the total population is living mostly groundwater in the world. About 85 percent of in rural areas and on the periphery of cities and rural drinking water needs, 65 percent of With a vast geographical area in the country, water towns and are not connected to the piped water needs, 50 percent of urban drinking water and woes are prevalent in terms of supply as well as supply which forced them to mine groundwater

2074 Million Litre Raw Water Reservoir, Sindhanur, Karnataka www.eawater.com/eMagazine January 2021 | EverythingAboutWater INDEPTH STATE OF WATER SECTOR 34

Bisalpur Jaipur Water Supply Pipeline

to survive. With the expansion of urban 1,545 cubic metres in 2011 which may further estimated that around 80 percent of and business hubs across cities in India, these reduce to 1486 cubic meters and 1367 cubic flows back into the without being emerging growth centres are putting tremendous meters in the years 2021 and 2031 respectively. treated or reused thus causing wide spread water pressure on both surface and ground water The average annual per capita water availability in pollution killing nearly 1.8 million people globally. resources. the year 2001 was assessed as 1816 cubic meters It also suggested that every year nearly 1 billion from 5,177 cubic metres in 1950. Less than 1,700 people get sick due to unsafe water. In India Extensive ground water extraction, unmonitored cubic metres water availability is considered a alone, the death caused by the polluted water and unregulated, has caused India’s water table to water-stressed condition, whereas below 1,000 is very alarming and it is estimated that about plunge to depths of unimaginable level. With over cubic metres is considered as a water scarcity 36,000 people were diagnosed with water-borne 230 billion cubic metre groundwater drawn out condition and many districts in the country are diseases every day. each year for irrigating in India, coming closer to that in near future. many parts of the country are experiencing rapid Many urban and semi-urban areas are not depletion of groundwater. The UNESCO World By 2030, the country’s water demand is projected connected with proper system resulting Water Development Report states that India is the to be twice the available supply, implying severe in wastewater being released into the environment largest extractor of groundwater in the world. water scarcity for hundreds of millions and an without any form of treatment thus polluting eventual loss of around 6 percent of the country’s ground and surface water. Municipal, industrial, Depleting Groundwater GDP. medical and all other kind of is frequently An earlier report of Central Ground Water Board being dumped into the rivers and other water (CGWB) suggests that nearly 5,900 wells in Water Pollution bodies causing great harm and further limiting the majority of districts in India experienced significant Quality of water is also a challenge. Muddy and availability of clean water sources. depletion in groundwater storage. While districts contaminated, the diminished resource threatens with significant decrease in groundwater are the future of the citizens who depends upon it. Significant Strides located in the Indo-Gangetic plain, northwest, India is currently ranked 120 among 122 countries The NITI Aayog of India has highlighted an and central regions, a few districts in Punjab also in the global index with more than 70 extremely critical condition of drinking water showing substantial decline in groundwater table. percent of overall water being contaminated. availability and water and there is With depletion occurring at a rate of 91 cm per policy revisit by the concerned ministries revolving year, Punjab has been witnessing a steep decline The increasing contamination of water is a matter around the condition. Government of India has in groundwater table since 1996. Even Delhi is of great concern. This widespread problem of launched Jal Shakti Abhiyan, a five year time- becoming the epicentre of this fast-developing water pollution is threatening our health, economy bound campaign on a mission mode which is crisis. and entire ecological system. Water pollution envisioned to improve water availability including kills more people each year than war and all groundwater conditions in the water stressed Per capita water availability in India has fallen to other forms of violence combined. UNESCO has blocks of 256 districts covering 1593 blocks with

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Scheme (MGNREGS) and Pradhan Mantri Krishi decades in which it has executed more than 600 Sinchayee Yojana. The major water resource water supply projects; SPML Infra is currently Extensive unmonitored and conservation and management programs taken providing drinking water facilities to over 50 unregulated groundwater up under these schemes included check dams, million people in India and have the unique extraction has caused India’s ponds, renovation of traditional water bodies, accomplishment of being the first Indian Company water table to plunge to depths development, embankment, field bunds, featured amongst the World’s Top 50 Private of unimaginable level. field channels, plantations, contour trenches etc. Water Companies. During the 5 years period in 2014-2019, 143 lakh hectares of land benefitted through these SPML Infra is executing a number of rural water interventions thus improving the productivity of supply projects under the Jal Jeevan Mission in a focus on and water land and increasing water availability. different states to provide drinking water facilities harvesting. The officials’ of central government to every household. With an excellent track record along with technical officers from Ministry of With Hon’ble Prime Minister taking personal and dedicated teamwork, the company has Jal Shakti are deputed to visit water stressed interest in Jal Jeevan Mission for the ambitious completed 2 such projects in Manipur in a record districts and assess the condition and work in plan of ‘Har Ghar Jal’; the budgetary allocation time of 18 months as against the stipulated period close collaboration with district level officials to of Rs. 2.87 lakh crore by the Finance Minister in of 24 months despite being a challenging task due undertake suitable interventions. 2021-22 union budget reflect the seriousness to hilly areas and high intensity of rainfall. The of the government. The task under Jal Jeevan company is also executing several projects under In India, water is a state subject and efforts to Mission when announced was to provide the mission and will be completing them within conserve and manage groundwater are primarily functional household tap connection (FHTC) to the stipulated time to achieve the target set by our states’ responsibility. It is encouraging that a almost 160 million unconnected households by Hon’ble Prime Minister. number of states have done remarkable work year 2024. This is a mammoth task looking at the like ‘Mukhyamantri Jal Swavlamban Abhiyan’ size and scope of the work involved. Looking Forward in Rajasthan, ‘Jalyukt Shivar’ in Maharashtra, With the prevailing situation of water scarcity ‘Sujalam Sufalam Abhiyan’ in Gujarat, ‘Mission This scheme is implementing the water source and government’s initiatives towards reducing Kakatiya’ in Telangana, ‘Neeru Chettu’ in Andhra measures in villages as mandatory the impact, we really need robust institutions Pradesh, ‘Kapil Dhara’ in Madhya Pradesh among elements, such as recharge and reuse through and governance at every level. There is an ardent others. wastewater management, water conservation, need to better manage the rain water harvesting and other recharge with that control the groundwater Government of India has initiated a scheme aimed measures. This community driven approach for extraction, and reuse, water at improving groundwater management over water development and operation harvesting, mechanism for reducing pollution in a period of 5 years called as Atal Bhujal Yojana, & maintenance with information, education and ground and surface water, effective environment or AtalJal. This is a World Bank-funded scheme communication as the key components getting balancing and all other which are part of the water to improve ground water management through good traction at the ground level. The service level crisis. community participation with a budget outlay of benchmarking has been decided that every rural Rs. 6,000 crore. household in the country will be provided clean drinking water at the rate of 55 litre per capital Then we have a long running government per day (LPCD) through functional household tap About the Author supported rural water infrastructure development connection (FHTC). Mr. Subhash Sethi is Chairman of SPML Infra for the construction of water harvesting and Limited. An ISO 9001 : 2015 Company nurtured conservation works primarily through Mahatma These large budget allocations and project by him has become the leading infrastructure Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee execution at ground level is certainly encouraging development company in India with over 600 for the water sector and hopefully the large completed projects in a rich legacy of four decades. He has been bestowed with a number infrastructure development under all central of awards for his significant contributions towards schemes will help in controlling the alarming the development of water and power sector in The 2021-22 budget water situation in the country. India. allocation for water sector reflects the seriousness of the To know more about the contributor of this article, SPML Contribution you can write to us. Your feedback is welcome and government. SPML Infra Limited, India’s leading water should be sent at: management company is indeed a flag bearer [email protected]. of Jal Jeevan Mission. With a rich legacy of four www.eawater.com/eMagazine January 2021 | EverythingAboutWater