{"id":366745,"date":"2026-07-04T19:40:57","date_gmt":"2026-07-04T14:10:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/?p=366745"},"modified":"2026-07-04T19:41:03","modified_gmt":"2026-07-04T14:11:03","slug":"building-water-security-in-a-rapidly-drying-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/building-water-security-in-a-rapidly-drying-india\/","title":{"rendered":"Building water security in a rapidly drying India"},"content":{"rendered":"

Source<\/strong>: The post \u201cBuilding water security in a rapidly drying India<\/strong>\u201d has been created based on “Building water security in a rapidly drying India\u201d<\/strong> published in \u201cThe Hindu\u201d on 4th July 2026.<\/p>\n

UPSC Syllabus: <\/strong>GS 2-Governance<\/p>\n

Context:<\/strong> India is facing an increasing water security crisis due to climate change, uneven distribution of water resources, and inadequate water management. With only 4% of the world’s freshwater resources supporting 18% of the global population<\/strong>, strengthening water security is essential for sustainable development, economic growth, and environmental conservation.<\/p>\n

Major Challenges to Water Security in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. Rising water stress in cities<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
      \n
    1. Indian cities such as Bengaluru, Mussoorie, and Delhi<\/strong> are experiencing severe water shortages.<\/li>\n
    2. A monsoon rainfall deficit of more than 40% in June<\/strong> has further intensified the water crisis.<\/li>\n
    3. Delhi is currently receiving only about 70% of its total daily water requirement<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
        \n
      1. Increasing water scarcity in river basins<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
          \n
        1. According to the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW)<\/strong>, 11 out of 15 major river basins<\/strong> in India are experiencing water stress.<\/li>\n
        2. River basins such as the Krishna, Cauvery, Mahi, and Tapi<\/strong> have crossed the water scarcity threshold, with annual water availability falling below 1,000 cubic metres per person<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
            \n
          1. Global water insecurity is worsening<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
              \n
            1. The United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH)<\/strong> has warned about the possibility of global water bankruptcy.<\/li>\n
            2. Several river basins across the world have become polluted and no longer discharge water into the sea.<\/li>\n
            3. Aquifers are being depleted beyond sustainable limits.<\/li>\n
            4. Nearly four billion people<\/strong> face severe water scarcity for at least one month every year.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                \n
              1. Gaps in water infrastructure and governance<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                  \n
                1. Existing water supply infrastructure is poorly maintained in many parts of the country.<\/li>\n
                2. Wastewater treatment facilities remain inadequate.<\/li>\n
                3. Large quantities of water are lost during distribution because of high conveyance losses.<\/li>\n
                4. Water pollution remains widespread, while low cost recovery affects the financial sustainability of water services.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                  Measures to Build Water Security in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n
                    \n
                  1. Invest in climate-resilient water infrastructure<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                      \n
                    1. Governments should undertake detailed climate risk assessments of water infrastructure and services.<\/li>\n
                    2. Investments should be prioritised in high-risk areas, including coastal regions, flood-prone areas, and places with critical infrastructure such as schools and hospitals.<\/li>\n
                    3. Urban Local Bodies and Panchayats should utilise schemes such as the Urban Challenge Fund<\/strong> to finance these assessments.<\/li>\n
                    4. For example, Visakhapatnam<\/strong> has received \u20b91,501 crore<\/strong> under the Urban Challenge Fund for improving water supply and drainage systems.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                        \n
                      1. Promote reuse of treated wastewater<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                          \n
                        1. India should shift from a linear model of water use to a circular water economy by reusing treated wastewater.<\/li>\n
                        2. Treated wastewater should be used for non-potable purposes such as construction, landscaping, car washing, and cooling of data centres.<\/li>\n
                        3. Every city should prepare a comprehensive wastewater reuse plan.<\/li>\n
                        4. The Thane Municipal Corporation<\/strong> is using treated wastewater to reduce its freshwater deficit and generate additional revenue.<\/li>\n
                        5. According to CEEW<\/strong>, treated wastewater reuse can create an economic opportunity of about \u20b93 lakh crore<\/strong> and generate nearly one lakh additional jobs by 2047<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                            \n
                          1. Expand micro-irrigation systems<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                              \n
                            1. The coverage of drip and sprinkler irrigation should be increased beyond the present 20%<\/strong> of the country’s irrigation potential.<\/li>\n
                            2. Subsidies should be redesigned to make micro-irrigation affordable for small and marginal farmers by considering 0.4 hectares<\/strong> as the base unit.<\/li>\n
                            3. Farmers should be encouraged to shift towards low-water, high-value crops<\/strong> such as horticulture and oilseeds.<\/li>\n
                            4. The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana<\/strong> should be strengthened by providing affordable insurance and ensuring faster settlement of claims.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                \n
                              1. Strengthen water data and monitoring systems<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                  \n
                                1. India should generate reliable data on water withdrawals, losses, and consumption at the river basin level.<\/li>\n
                                2. Artificial Intelligence should be used to monitor water conveyance infrastructure and identify leakages.<\/li>\n
                                3. Smart bulk water meters and smart consumer water meters should be installed to improve water accounting and reduce losses.<\/li>\n
                                4. The successful rollout of over 4.93 crore smart electricity meters<\/strong> can serve as a model for the water sector.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                  Conclusion:<\/strong> Water is a critical economic and environmental resource that supports human well-being, livelihoods, and ecosystems. India can achieve long-term water security by investing in climate-resilient infrastructure, promoting wastewater reuse, expanding efficient irrigation systems, strengthening water data systems, and ensuring political commitment, transparent governance, and public participation.<\/p>\n

                                  Question: <\/strong>India is facing a growing water security crisis due to climate change, inadequate infrastructure, and poor water governance. Discuss the major challenges and suggest measures to build a water-secure India.<\/p>\n

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

                                  Source: The post \u201cBuilding water security in a rapidly drying India\u201d has been created based on “Building water security in a rapidly drying India\u201d published in \u201cThe Hindu\u201d on 4th July 2026. UPSC Syllabus: GS 2-Governance Context: India is facing an increasing water security crisis due to climate change, uneven distribution of water resources, and… Continue reading Building water security in a rapidly drying India<\/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":[300,212,10498],"class_list":["post-366745","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-9-pm-daily-articles","tag-governance","tag-gs-paper-2","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\/366745","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=366745"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/366745\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=366745"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=366745"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=366745"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}