Mumbai, Oct. 27 -- India's water deficit is fundamentally tied to storage and infrastructure gaps that must be bridged through modern reservoirs, efficient rainwater harvesting, and restoration of traditional water bodies to ensure year-round water security, writes Siddharth Bansal.
The increasing water problem in India is frequently perceived through the prism of climate change-the unpredictability of the monsoons, the heat waves and the droughts that are becoming ever more frequent. Although climate variability contributes to it, another significant factor is the management of water. It is not a matter of absolute scarcity but rather the degree to which water is captured, stored, treated, distributed and reused. Addressing these issues demands greater emphasis on infrastructure, technology and governance solutions. The magnitude of the problem is considerable. Almost 600 million people in India face high or extreme water stress, with approximately 200,000 deaths attributed to unsafe water. In the future, there is a possibility that India may face water demand that exceeds supply by 2030, which would have serious effects on economic growth. Nevertheless, these numbers also highlight the urgency as well as the opportunity to make systemic changes in water infrastructure and management. Although climate change is cited as the first cause, the real problem is that infrastructure development has not kept pace with rapid urbanisation, population growth and industrial expansion. India's scores on global water indicators reveal the need for improvement, particularly in per capita water availability and water quality. According to the Falkenmark Water Stress Indicator, a country is considered water-stressed when its annual per capita water availability drops below 1,700 cubic metres. India's current availability hovers dangerously around 1,486 cubic metres and is projected to plummet to nearly 1,191 cubic metres by 2050. These signs reinforce the necessity for more efficient and integrated water management systems.
Enhancing conservation Groundwater remains a vital component of India's water ecosystem, contributing to approximately 85 per cent of drinking water needs and more than 60 per cent of irrigation requirements. Although this has supported agricultural output and livelihoods, it has also placed a strain on aquifers in states like Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. To reduce this reliance, it is worth considering the strengthening of surface water infrastructure, including reservoirs, canals and rainwater collection systems, to make usage more sustainable. Additionally, a paradigm shift in agricultural policy is required, such as incentivising a transition from water-intensive crops like paddy and sugarcane to millets and oilseeds, alongside the rapid scaling of micro-irrigation systems such as drip and sprinkler networks. Another area of significance is urban water infrastructure. India produces approximately 72,000 million litres per day (MLD) of sewage, of which only approximately 28 per cent is treated today. This gap reveals a great potential to increase wastewater treatment capacity and encourage reuse. Treated wastewater can also be utilised as a resource for industry, agriculture and urban landscaping, thereby reducing the burden on freshwater resources. Likewise, improving efficiency in the water distribution system can yield significant benefits. Non-revenue water (NRW) losses due to leakages, ageing pipes and illegal connections can reach 30-40 per cent in most cities. Encouragingly, urban centres such as Nagpur have demonstrated that these losses can be drastically reduced through targeted infrastructure upgrades, public-private partnerships (PPPs), and modern monitoring systems like District Metered Areas (DMAs) and IoT-enabled smart water meters, revealing the transformative potential of focused interventions.
International paradigms To contrast India's water management challenges with global standards, it is highly insightful to examine how the nation's storage capacity compares to that of other large countries. While India struggles with extreme water stress, the underlying issue is heavily tied to its storage infrastructure rather than a sheer lack of rainfall. Currently, India possesses a remarkably low per capita storage capacity of only about 225 cubic meters, meaning it captures and retains a mere 10-15 per cent of its total annual runoff. When placed side-by-side with global peers, this infrastructure deficit becomes starkly apparent. Russia leads significantly with an immense per capita storage capacity of approximately 6,100 cubic metres, successfully storing around 40 per cent of its annual runoff. Australia, despite being an incredibly arid continent, manages a robust per capita storage capacity of about 4,700 cubic metres, retaining 25 per cent of its annual runoff. The US also maintains a highly developed infrastructure network, holding a per capita storage capacity of roughly 2,200 cubic metres and securing 20 per cent of its annual runoff. This comparative data highlights a critical reality that India's water crisis is fundamentally a storage and infrastructure deficit. Bridging this gap through modern reservoirs, efficient rainwater harvesting, and the restoration of traditional water bodies is vital to turning India's seasonal monsoon abundance into year-round water security. This massive disparity highlights that India's crisis stems fundamentally from a storage deficit rather than from a lack of raw resources. This resource can be better harnessed through seasonal strengthening of reservoirs, restoration of traditional water bodies, and greater harvesting and use of rainwater across seasons.
Forward flow In recent years, notable progress has been made. Programmes like the Jal Jeevan Mission by the government have seen more rural residents gain access to tap water. Supported by groundwater recharge schemes and better monitoring, these initiatives have made water management more sustainable. Riding on this wave, the subsequent stage of the programme, Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 (and AMRUT 2.0), puts a greater emphasis on sustainable source management, greywater treatment, circular economy water metrics, and long-term service provision, therein indicating a change in emphasis from merely creating access to the durability and quality of rural and urban water infrastructure. Meanwhile, it will be necessary to maintain long-term investment to attain full wastewater treatment and reuse. Expert estimates show that infrastructure upgrades would cost $18-27 billion by 2047. Although it is a significant capital investment, it is a long-term opportunity to create water security, enhance human health and promote economic growth. Finally, climate change will still have a bearing on water availability, but most of the water stress in India would depend on the effectiveness with which the country upgrades its infrastructure and management systems. India can become water resilient rather than water-stressed with the appropriate combination of policy backing, investment, technological change and community involvement. The country presents a unique paradox of abundant rainfall but with increasing water stress. However, this also presents an opportunity. India can turn its water ecosystem into a sustainable, forward-looking system that promotes sustainable development and economic sustainability by taking a more integrated and proactive stance.
About the author Siddharth Bansal, Director, Skipper Ltd, champions water conservation, promotes responsible resource use, and actively supports training programmes for plumbers and contractors, the true backbone of the industry.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Infrastructure Today.