If there will be any war in future then it would be fought over water. Corporate companies involved in water business, wineries, big hotels and rich people of the country never have to undergo such catastrophes. It’ always the common man who suffers and poor have to sacrifice their lives for water.
Latur district, about 500 km away from Mumbai, is the epicenter of the drought in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra. Latur town is receiving water once a month and the state government last month imposed Section 144 of the CrPC — that bars gatherings of more than 5 persons — as a precautionary measure to prevent water riots. They are getting water supply once in 20 days and taking a bath even once a week is a luxury. Forget about washing clothes or maintaining hygiene. On rare days, they use half a bucket of water to take a bath and then use that (remaining) water to wash clothes or clean homes. The last drop from that is used to water plants if that is possible, otherwise most of the plants go dry. Those having pets or cattle suffered even more. Adjusting with limited water or no water is challenging the human survival in that part of state.
The convoys of water tankers are getting water for Latur (from nearby sources) with an armed policeman on guard is a sight to behold. Maharashtra government enlisted Indian Railways to supply water by trains to parched Latur. The first of the two trains reached the place, after steam cleaning, to transport 27 million litres of water every day to Latur.
Maharashtra and nine other states, including Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh, declared a drought in 2015, the second year of a deficit south-west monsoon in India. This has led to depleting water levels in reservoirs, and the situation is set to worsen as the monsoon is at least two months away.
What’s worse, temperatures across India is likely to soar higher than normal between April and June, with the north-west set to experience a particularly hot summer, India Meteorological Department said in its maiden summer forecast last week.
Data from the ministry of water resources show that in end March, water levels in 91 major reservoirs in the country was at just 25 per cent of capacity—30 per cent lower than last year, and 25 per cent less than the average storage in a decade.
The situation is acute in the western parts of the country. Water stored in reservoirs in Maharashtra and Gujarat was at 21 per cent of their capacity, compared to the usual decadal average of 44 per cent. In southern India, covering drought-hit states like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, water levels were at 17 per cent of reservoir capacity, compared to decadal average storage levels of 29 per cent of the capacity.
India has failed to recognize that groundwater resources form the lifeline of water supply in villages, cities and for farming and there is little effort to enhance recharge and harvest rainwater. Summer is at peak in next two months and this will be the most difficult phase of the water crisis. In July last year, the situation was clear as six states faced deficit rains. Both the centre and the state government have failed to reduce non-essential water use and prioritize drinking water for human beings and livestock. Now when nothing is working, Maharashtra government is planning to appoint an experts’ committee to suggest measures to solve Mumbai’s water woes. They will come up with some measures to counter water issues.
The BMC (civic body) supplies 960-975 million litres daily (MLD) of water to the island city’s 31 lakh population, 920-930 MLD to eastern suburbs’ 30 lakh population, while the area from Goregaon to Dahisar, with a population of 30 lakh, gets only 620 MLD of water. This is an injustice to the suburban region.
The government should appoint a committee to study feasibility of equal, population-based water distribution. Moreover 27 per cent of water is lost to leakages or theft, BMC was trying to reduce them by adopting various measures like replacement of old distribution lines, but so far nothing has been done.
I hope, people of this country won’t start civil war over water, and water industries and mafias keep selling every drop of it as this is the basic necessity of every living being.
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