India has been witnessing water shortage due to a combination of rapid population growth, urbanisation, industrialisation, and climate change.
According to the Composite Water Management Index (CWMI) by NITI Aayog, around 600 million people face high to extreme water stress in India, due to factors such as uneven distribution of water resources, inefficient water management practices, over-extraction of groundwater, and pollution of water sources. As per report of World Resource Institute, 2015, 54 per cent of India's total area is facing high to extremely high-water stress and 54 per cent of India's groundwater wells are decreasing.
India heavily relies on groundwater for irrigation, drinking water, and industrial use. However, unsustainable extraction has led to a significant decline in groundwater levels and quality in many parts of the country. In addition to scarcity, water quality is also a significant concern in India. According to a report by WaterAid, around 163 million people in India lack access to clean drinking water close to their homes.
Climate change is leading to erratic weather patterns, resulting in more frequent and severe droughts and floods in various parts of the country.
The Indian government has launched various initiatives to address the water crisis: the Jal Jeevan Mission aimed at providing piped water supply to all rural households by 2024; The Atal Bhujal Yojana focuses on sustainable groundwater management in priority areas; AMRUT 2.0 and Namami Gange Mission are focused on liquid pollution abatement at massive levels.
Agriculture is the largest consumer of water in India, accounting for around 80 per cent of total water usage, and the demand for water in agriculture continues to increase with growing population and food demand. Hence, recycle and reuse of wastewater is one of the major ways to resolve water shortage in India. This will conserve the fresh water resources and boost circular economy in water sector. The potential is there, due to sewage treatment, capacity is only of 30 per cent of sewage generated.
India has regulations and guidelines governing the use of wastewater for irrigation. However, enforcement and compliance with these regulations vary across regions and sectors. AMRUT-MoHUA is promoting comprehensive manual on recycling and reuse of wastewater, and develop training module to guide the states in achieving circularity in wastewater, while maintaining high standards of water quality for irrigation.
Efforts are underway to promote the treatment and safe reuse of wastewater in India. Municipalities, industries, and agricultural stakeholders are implementing wastewater treatment technologies to improve water quality and reduce pollution. Wastewater use in India presents both challenges and opportunities. While it provides a valuable water resource for irrigation, ensuring its safe and sustainable management requires investments in treatment infrastructure, regulatory enforcement, and public awareness campaigns on sanitation and water quality and water costs. As said, Israel’s model of circular water economy is characterised by more than one step and there are many other solutions to be implemented, such as groundwater recharge, use of brackish and desalinated water, moving towards 24/7 water supply and more.
Overall, addressing water consumption in India requires a holistic approach. Israel and India have cooperation in many fields, and in recent years in the field of water (intensively in the Water field). Israel is showing success of dealing with the water shortage, and has developed working methodology and technologies. The water team at the embassy of Israel is working with Indian counterparts in order to share knowledge and to create joint projects on sustainable water sources.
Noa Amsalem is water attaché, Embassy of Israel in India.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author's and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of THE WEEK.