M J Sharma (IFS)
Water is the most important feature of our planet. A simple combination of hydrogen and oxygen, water is probably common throughout the universe, but mainly in the form of ice and vapour. Water, the elixir of life is not only an essential element for our survival, but is also an important vehicle for economic development of nation. Although water is renewable resource, its reserve in nature is limited and therefore, we have to plan for sustainable development and efficient management so that growing demand of rising population, expanding industries and rapid urbanisation are adequately met. We have to find a solution to survive and progress. The rain water harvesting is the only cheap and best alternative.
For the last two decades or so every day we are getting clarion call that world is going to face an acute shortage of water in the near future. When it comes to our country, situation is also the same. It is firstly because of high rise of water consumption for drinking, daily use, irrigation purposes, construction activities, industrial purpose and secondly explosion of population and thirdly abrupt change of temperature due to the climatic changes and erratic rainfall pattern. Besides this whatsoever the rainfall that goes speedily to the sea as the catchment areas are devoid of vegetation due to deforestation and conversion of waste land for other activities like agriculture, development of infrastructure like hydro projects, establishment of stone crushers, bricks kilns, factories followed by heavy grazing by nomads and locals. In nutshell, there seems to be no respite in the growing menace of water shortage. The research shows that 21 of the world’s large aquifers, which collectively provides water to 2 billion people, have reached to sustainability tipping point. There is an overall deficit of 40% in water availability all over the world. The floods and droughts are becoming more frequent and extreme. Through research and satellite mapping it is found that Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab are losing about 18 cubic kilometre water per year which is amongst the highest rate of ground water depletion in the world. The centre ground water board has warned that Punjab will become desert in 25 years. In most places across the India rate of depletion exceeds 0.5 meter a year and often such is 1 meter a year. In our country about 50% of the area is engulfed in drought and over 60 crore population is suffering from the water shortage. NITI Aayog has warned that 21 cities including 4 metropolis-will run out of ground water by 2020. The water cycle and the climate are intimately linked. Hence, just we are seeing change in climate; we are also seeing changes in the water cycle and the availability of water. Most of the people in thousands along with their cattle are migrating to the relief camps in Karnataka, Rajasthan and Maharashtra due to the prolonged drought. In J&K despite a big reservoir of water in the shape of glaciers, lakes, ponds, mighty river like Indus, Jhelum, Chenab and Ravi there are large number of water stressed areas. The prominent one is; Kandi belt of Jammu (from Basholi to Rajouri Siwalik Hills), Krewas of Kashmir, Khalsi and Batalik areas of Ladakh and some pockets of Chenab Valley and Poonch. Kandi belt of Jammu region which is spread over Basholi, Billawar, Ramnagar, Udhampur, Kathua, Samba, Jammu, Sunderbani and Rajouri areas is really highly water stressed areas from the time immemorial and in spite of the best efforts made by the government and locals this water shortage is still continuing. The cost of mitigation of water shortage is escalating as can be seen from the projects launched for meeting demand of water shortage in the country. For example, Telangana state has recently commissioned large scheme of drinking water supply amounting to 84,000 crores. In other parts of the country, tankers, trollies, mules, autos and railways has been put into the service to meet the water shortage and this will go on multiplying in geometrical progression. The supply of water is so costly that in Chennai people are saying the water is costly than gold. In Chennai and other metro cities people are shifting their houses where there is minimal guarantee of water supply. According to International Management Institute the total demand in India will be increased by 25% by 2025 and further 15% by 2050 due to population increase and lifestyle choices. We take clean water for granted. But in many parts of the world, fresh water is luxury. It is scarce and so valuable that people risk their life to gain access to it. In these regions extracting water from rivers for farming and city use can cause serious problems for people living downstream. The pollution of streams and rivers can have a disastrous impact on wildlife. Only 3% of the water on earth is fresh water, like the water in our taps, and 3 quarter of that is frozen into ice, nearly all the rest is salty ocean. Water ‘haves and haves not’ will lead to social tension, political conflict and, if they are serious enough, can even trigger wars. According to a UNO survey, a child dies every 15 seconds from water related diseases in the world and in India thousands of children under the age of 5 dies as a result of water borne diseases.
Where is Water and what need to be done
The per capita availability of water has declined from 5000 cubic kilometre from 1951 to 1600 cubic meters and it is fastly decreasing. This shows that so far world has failed to mitigate the water shortage and what will happen in 2050 when population will touch 12 billion. Another factor is that for last 2 billion years the overall water on our planet had remained stable in the world so the only way out is to manipulate the water cycle. This can be done by harvesting rain water and preserving it for daily use as well as for posterity.
The mother earth has gifted the mankind in the shape of preserving the water in the womb for any amount of time as well as of any capacity besides keeping the water clean and sweet. As our country geographically and climatically is very favourable for water harvesting because we have Himalayas in north eastern and western coast in the south, Satpura and Vindhyachal ranges are in the central India. Our country being surrounded by seas on three sides receives a good rainfall that is an average 1100 millimetre per year. The basic principle in the water harvesting is to make the running water slow and slow water stand and standing water to percolate in the soil. This can be done by various soil and water conservation measures like continuous trenching, construction of small and medium dams by using logs, bamboos, earth, stones and cement and iron material. These dams will hold water for longer time and will work as a great source of artificial recharging of ground water aquifer. Secondly, the education and awareness amongst the people for conserving water needs to be taken up at war footing. As every drop of water saved or reused is water conserved. To tackle the water shortage problem, Govt of India has launched Jal-Shakti Abhiyan at the country level and has also created Jal-Shakti Ministry. There is need of creating such things and separate water ministry at state level for tackling this stupendous task. Thirdly people from all walks of life need to be involved. All sections of society have to join hands and contribute to addressing the challenges in the water sector-be it in the centre, the states, and panchayati raj institutions, urban and local bodies, industrial houses, NGOs and the civil societies as well as all religious and social organisations only then and then water shortage problem can be tackled now and ensured water availability in future. The P.O.W.E.R people organisation for welfare and environment reconstruction which is working in the field of soil and water conservation in the Jammu Kandi belt assures to work for creating awareness among the masses and also provide technical knowhow for the construction of water harvesting structures to the executing agencies.
(The author is former Director Soil and Water Conservation J&K State and Patron Chief of Power)
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