Water Management in Cities for Sustaining Urbanisation

Water Management in Cities for Sustaining Urbanisation

To add to the problem is the poor availability of water. The per capita water availability on our planet has been consistently dipping. This was over 6000 cubic metres in 1947 and is projected to decrease to less than 1150 cubic metres in 2050, which is regarded by WHO as insufficient for healthy living. As global population grows to over 9 billion by 2050, water scarcity could ‘blow up’ the world through failure of crops, breakdown of ecosystems, collapse of industries etc. Majority of India survives on ground water. Ground water levels are receding all over the country, rivers are drying up and fertile lands are turning towards desertification. Global warming is making the situation even worse. Already, parts of India are facing drought due to failure of the monsoon year after year. Nature had created the surface and ground water habitats for fresh water through geological activities millions of years ago. Until about a hundred years ago, fresh water from these habitats appeared to be perennial. But its traditional habitats are being systematically destroyed by human activities and the ignorant public remains a mute spectator.

There is a dire need to create scientific awareness about habitats of water, its global distribution, ground water, rivers and surface water. This will help the masses to appreciate and willingly adopt the concepts of ground water recharging, treating effluents from industries, regenerating fresh water by mimicking nature in green houses, desalination through evaporation and condensation and other modern techniques.

(The author is co-author of two popular books on water including the award-winning book published by the Rajasthan Hindi Granth Academy;'Dharti par Paani')