Since time immemorial the power of any country is adjudged from three factors: its population, its area and its quantity of water. India has 16% of the world’s population, 2.4% of the area and 4% of its water. This way we can say that area-wise we are 1.66 times richer than the average but alas, per capita we have only one fourth water availability in the world.
The Biggest Threat
The area of the earth is reducing because of floods, global warming and convergence of rivers into seas, the erosion is taking place and it is silting the sea thus reducing its depth. Water is rapidly changing its position and its quality. The stock of many million years of clean and potable water is being created and consumed. This ground water after being used runs in house drain, then to local drains, then to small and big drains, then to small rivers, then to big rivers and finally converges into the sea. In this whole process of erosion large quantity of earth’s silt passes into water which finally reduces the depth of the oceans and increases their area.
A crop is grown in 100 days through the processes of ploughing, sowing, watering, weeding, and harvesting. A drop of water is prepared in 6 to12 months after going through a very lengthy process of heat, evaporation, formation of clouds, the atmospheric changes, condensation and then it comes back in the shape of drops. A tree is grown in 5 to 10 years but the earth’s upper crust which contains soil generally needs 5000 years to take its required quality and form. And it is we who are continuously throwing the precious and quality water along with the equally precious silt recklessly into the sea and reducing our own land area. Nobody can forgive us for this reckless behaviour.
Another threat
The earth has 1400 cubic kilometres of water with 97% in the sea which is saline and salty and is not of much direct use. Only 3% is potable and can be consumed by plants and animals. Out of this 3% water 2% is at the North and South Pole and on the mountains in the form of ice and ice glaciers, and the rest 1% is inside the earth, in the plants, in the form of soil moisture, humidity, in animals and human beings, and of course in the rivers and lakes and ponds. The global warming and the excessive pumping out of the ground water will further increase the saline percentage and the reduced quantity shall be left for the ever increasing demands of agriculture, industry, and domestic use besides for the rapidly multiplying number of humans.
INDIAN SCENERIO
In India the water availability per person per year was about 6000 cubic metres (M3) in the year 1950 which has come down to 1800 M3 in the year 2000. It is likely to decrease to 1200 M3 in the year 2050. Even today the per capita availability in Brahamputra basin is 18000 M3 while it is only 380 M3 on Kaveri basin. Such a huge imbalance is seen in the different parts of our own country. It rains 11000 mm per year in Chirapunji, Meghalaya while the corresponding figure in Churu, Rajasthan is only 200.
The consumption of available water in various fields is 83% for irrigation, 4.5% for domestic use, 3.5% for industry, 3.5% for power sector and 5.5% for other sectors. When our population reaches 150 crores in the year 2050, the situation is expected to be further deteriorated.
A FEW SUGGESTIONS
The situation is alarming and we have to wriggle out of it, besides we have to feed all our population and continue with the increasing needs of industry. Yes, we can do it if we have will and are ready to take necessary measures and that too within a short span of time. These suggestions are not exhaustive but can work in a big way against the havoc which is approaching us at a very fast speed.
1. Reduce the quantity of water drained into the sea;
2. Reduce the pumping of ground water and absolutely stop the pumping from the overexploited areas;
3. Manage the consumption;
4. Reduce evaporation by arranging underground storage of water;
5. Connect the water scarce areas with water excess areas;
6. Introduce proper budgeting of available water;
7. Reuse i.e., repeat the use of processes where it is possible;
8. Recycle i.e., use where the dirty water is also consumable;
9. Renovate i.e., clean and use;
10. Some countries irrigate melons, gourds, dates, palms, and pumpkins with saline/ sea water and get good yields. We can also use this method and save sweet potable water;
11. More water consuming crops should not be sown in water scarce areas;
12. Reduce the use of soap-like products to prevent deterioration of quality;
13. Use quality water for only quality jobs like drinking and other human use;
14. Introduce subjects/chapters like water conservation in schools;
15. Impose serious penalties for exploitation of quantity and spoiling the quality of water; and
16. Control the population exodus and its concentration at certain places.
These are only some suggestions against the threat, which is challenging the humanity. Haan aur kitne din hogi pani teri ruswayee / Aadmi sambhal warna khatm tere mele hain.