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India's Water Future: From Scarcity to Resilience
28 Feb
Summary
- Over half of India faces high water stress, impacting nearly 600 million people.
- India treats only 28% of its wastewater, leaving a large untapped water source.
- New water and sewer networks totaling 95,272 km have been sanctioned.
India is embarking on a crucial two-decade transformation towards water security, aiming for a 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047. This vision requires sustainable management of water resources to support a growing population, economy, and environment.
Currently, over half of India's land area experiences high water stress, impacting nearly 600 million individuals. Decades of prioritizing access through pipelines and dams have been vital, but the focus must now shift to resilience.
This new strategy hinges on three pillars: storage, reuse, and regeneration. India's per capita freshwater availability has significantly decreased, underscoring the urgency of safe water storage to reduce contamination and ensure supply continuity.
Furthermore, India generates approximately 72,000 MLD of wastewater daily, yet only 28% is treated. This underutilized resource is critical as industries and cities expand and climate variability intensifies.
Initiatives like AMRUT and AMRUT 2.0 have already sanctioned extensive new water supply and sewer lines, totaling 73,519 km and 21,753 km respectively. Significant sewage treatment capacity has also been approved, signaling a decisive shift towards water resilience.
