{"id":362806,"date":"2026-05-13T18:00:22","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T12:30:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/?p=362806"},"modified":"2026-05-13T18:00:22","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T12:30:22","slug":"how-india-is-governing-its-water-resources","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/how-india-is-governing-its-water-resources\/","title":{"rendered":"How India is Governing Its Water Resources"},"content":{"rendered":"

UPSC Syllabus: Gs Paper 1- <\/strong>location-changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps)<\/p>\n

Introduction<\/strong><\/h2>\n

India\u2019s water crisis is not only about scarcity but also about weak governance and poor management. The country receives nearly 4,000 billion cubic metres of annual rainfall<\/strong>, yet only a small share becomes usable. Rising water stress, falling groundwater levels, and uneven water distribution have made water governance a major policy challenge. As India moves toward SDG 6<\/strong> and the goal of becoming a developed economy by 2047, improving water governance has become essential for economic growth, sustainability, and social well-being..<\/p>\n

India<\/strong>\u2019<\/strong>s Water Paradox and Growing Stress<\/strong><\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. High Rainfall but Low Usable Water: <\/strong>India receives large annual rainfall, but only about 1,100 billion cubic metres is considered usable. Limited storage infrastructure, uneven rainfall distribution, and ecological constraints reduce effective water use.<\/li>\n
  2. Population Pressure on Water Resources: <\/strong>India supports nearly 18% of the world\u2019s population but has access to only around 4% of global freshwater resources.<\/li>\n
  3. Rising Water Stress: <\/strong>According to the NITI Aayog Composite Water Management Index, nearly 600 million people face high to extreme water stress.<\/li>\n
  4. Declining Per Capita Water Availability: <\/strong>Per capita water availability was above 5,000 cubic metres annually after independence. It has now declined to nearly 1,400 cubic metres, showing growing pressure on water resources.<\/li>\n
  5. Heavy Dependence on Groundwater: <\/strong>India is the world\u2019s largest groundwater user and accounts for almost one-fourth of global groundwater extraction. Excessive extraction has caused falling groundwater levels in many areas.<\/li>\n
  6. Institutional Nature of the Crisis: <\/strong>India\u2019s water crisis is not only hydrological but also institutional. Weak regulation, fragmented governance, and poor coordination have increased water stress despite substantial rainfall.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Institutional Framework of Water Governance in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n
      \n
    1. Constitutional Distribution of Powers:<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      State List : <\/strong>Water is mainly a State subject under Entry 17 of the State List.<\/p>\n

      Union List: <\/strong>The Union government regulates inter-state rivers under Entry 56 of the Union List.<\/p>\n

      Article 262 allows Parliament to resolve inter-state water disputes.<\/strong><\/h2>\n
        \n
      1. Role of the Ministry of Jal Shakti: <\/strong>The Ministry of Jal Shakti is the main authority for water resources, drinking water supply, and sanitation. It coordinates national water-related programmes and policies.<\/li>\n
      2. Central Technical Institutions: <\/strong>The Central Water Commission manages surface water planning, river basin development, and flood control. The Central Ground Water Board studies groundwater resources and supports sustainable aquifer management.<\/li>\n
      3. Accountability Through NITI Aayog: <\/strong>NITI Aayog evaluates State performance through the Composite Water Management Index. This has encouraged evidence-based policymaking and accountability in the water sector.<\/li>\n
      4. Role of States and Local Bodies: <\/strong>States mainly handle irrigation, groundwater regulation, and water supply. Panchayats, municipalities, urban water boards, and local governments implement policies at the ground level.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Specialized and Regulatory Institutions: <\/strong>The National Water Development Agency (NWDA)works on river interlinking projects. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and State Pollution Control Boards monitor environmental and pollution-related water issues.<\/p>\n

        Key Water Legislations: <\/strong>Important laws include the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956, the River Boards Act, 1956, and the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. These laws regulate river disputes, river management, and water pollution control.<\/p>\n

        Policy Guidelines for Water Governance: <\/strong>The National Water Policy, 2012 promotes integrated water resource management and treats water as an economic resource. It also emphasizes sustainability, efficiency, and better water management practices.<\/p>\n

        Key Challenges in Water Governance<\/strong><\/h2>\n
          \n
        1. Fragmented Institutional Structure: <\/strong>Water governance is divided among different ministries, departments, and agencies. This often leads to poor coordination and policy conflicts.<\/li>\n
        2. Engineering-Centric Water Management: <\/strong>Water policies have mainly focused on dams, canals, and irrigation infrastructure. Demand management and ecological sustainability have received less attention.<\/li>\n
        3. Water-Intensive Agricultural Policies: <\/strong>Policies encouraging crops such as rice and wheat have increased groundwater extraction. Agriculture consumes the largest share of India\u2019s freshwater resources.<\/li>\n
        4. Weak Water Data Systems: <\/strong>India lacks reliable and accessible water data. Poor monitoring affects planning, allocation, and regulation of water resources.<\/li>\n
        5. Neglect of Ecosystem-Based Management: <\/strong>Water governance often ignores the relationship between rivers, wetlands, land, and ecosystems. Environmental flows are neglected, causing ecological degradation.<\/li>\n
        6. Limited Demand-Side Management: <\/strong>Water policies mainly focus on increasing supply instead of improving efficiency, conservation, and rational water use practices.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Major Government Initiatives for Water Governance<\/strong><\/h2>\n
            \n
          1. Jal Jeevan Mission: <\/strong>Launched in 2019, the mission aims to provide tap water connections to every rural household. It has been extended till 2028 to achieve universal coverage.<\/li>\n
          2. Atal Bhujal Yojana: <\/strong>The programme focuses on sustainable groundwater management in water-stressed areas. It promotes community participation, groundwater budgeting, and monitoring.<\/li>\n
          3. Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana: <\/strong>The scheme promotes micro-irrigation and efficient water management practices. Improving irrigation efficiency is important because agriculture uses most freshwater resources.<\/li>\n
          4. Jal Shakti Abhiyan: <\/strong>Started in 2019, the campaign focuses on water conservation and groundwater recharge in water-stressed districts.<\/li>\n
          5. AMRUT and AMRUT 2.0: <\/strong>The mission aims to improve urban water supply, sewage treatment, wastewater reuse, green spaces, and water security in cities and Urban Local Bodies.<\/li>\n
          6. Namami Gange Programme: <\/strong>The programme combines pollution control, sewage treatment, and ecological restoration in the Ganga basin to improve river health.<\/li>\n
          7. Amrit Sarovar Mission: <\/strong>The mission aims to develop and rejuvenate 75 water bodies in every district for local water conservation and recharge.<\/li>\n
          8. National Aquifer Mapping Programme (NAQUIM): <\/strong>NAQUIM helps identify and understand aquifers for better groundwater management and sustainable use.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            Way Forward for Sustainable Water Governance<\/strong><\/h2>\n
              \n
            1. Shift Towards Integrated Governance: <\/strong>India needs to move from fragmented governance to a coordinated and comprehensive water management framework. Water should be treated as a shared and finite resource.<\/li>\n
            2. Focus on Sustainability and Efficiency: <\/strong>Water governance should focus more on conservation, efficiency, and equitable use instead of only increasing supply.<\/li>\n
            3. Expand Wastewater Recycling: <\/strong>Increasing wastewater reuse in cities can reduce pressure on freshwater resources and improve long-term water availability.<\/li>\n
            4. Improve Irrigation and Crop Choices: <\/strong>Better irrigation systems and suitable crop patterns can improve water productivity and reduce groundwater stress.<\/li>\n
            5. Strengthen Participatory Governance: <\/strong>Community participation in groundwater management and monitoring can improve accountability and sustainable use of water resources.<\/li>\n
            6. Use Scientific and Technological Approaches: <\/strong>Better data systems, scientific planning, and technological innovation are necessary for effective and sustainable water governance.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n

              India\u2019s water future depends more on governance than on rainfall availability. Strong institutions, better coordination, efficient water use, and community participation are necessary to address rising water stress. Scientific planning, sustainable management, wastewater reuse, and integrated governance can help India move from a cycle of scarcity toward long-term water security, ecological sustainability, and balanced economic development while supporting SDG 6 and national development goals.<\/p>\n

              Question for practice:<\/strong><\/p>\n

              Examine how weak governance and institutional challenges have contributed to India\u2019s water crisis despite substantial annual rainfall.<\/p>\n

              Source<\/strong>: The Hindu<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

              UPSC Syllabus: Gs Paper 1- location-changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) Introduction India\u2019s water crisis is not only about scarcity but also about weak governance and poor management. The country receives nearly 4,000 billion cubic metres of annual rainfall, yet only a small share becomes usable. Rising water stress, falling groundwater levels,… Continue reading How India is Governing Its Water Resources<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10320,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1230],"tags":[80,263,10498],"class_list":["post-362806","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-9-pm-daily-articles","tag-geography","tag-gs-paper-1","tag-the-hindu","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","views":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/362806","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10320"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=362806"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/362806\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=362806"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=362806"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=362806"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}