There is a water emergency now: Rajendra Singh

11 states are facing a water emergency. It is a crisis

sreelatha

Sreelatha Menon | May 17, 2016


#Jal Satyagraha   #MIT   #Rajendra Singh   #Water Scarcity   #Agriculture   #Maharashtra   #Marathwada   #Agriculture   #Drought   #Bundelkhand  



Are you aware of the MIT study which projects acute water stress in India 35 years from now?

Why wait for 35 years? Even now 11 states are facing a water emergency. It is a crisis. And we should consider ourselves lucky if we survive till 2050. It is a terrifying situation.

Where is it more severe?

Almost entire southern India is affected. It is severe in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra. In Andhra Pradesh, Rayalseema region is affected and it is most severe in Anantpur. As for Telangana, every district is reeling under drought. Even in rain-fed Kerala most districts are short of water, and Palakkad is most severely hit.

What are the reasons behind this crisis?

All aquifers are overdrawn and there is no recharge. That is the simple reason. Police keep reserve force for safety, but for water we have no reserve bank. Earlier our aquifers were full. People used to get water from a shallow depth, but today the ground water levels are going lower and lower.

How can this be rectified at this stage?

See, we are getting water even now from underground. But this water is 10,000 to 60,000 years old. It is fossil water. Unless this water is recharged with fresh inflow, what will we be left with?

What is your plan of action?

I have with me experts and geologists who have worked on creating a draft bill which would pull us back from the verge of a water disaster. But for that the government should pay heed. We have the support of Ekta Parishad and Anna Hazare too.

READ:
Parched throats demand water law to quench thirst

READ: Scary scarcity of water
(The interview appears in the May 16-31, 2016 issue)

Comments

 

Other News

AI: Code, Control, Conquer

India today stands at a critical juncture in the area of artificial intelligence. While the country is among the fastest adopters of AI in the world, it remains heavily reliant on technologies developed elsewhere. This paradox, experts warn, cannot persist if India seeks technological sovereignty.

RBI pauses to assess inflation risks, policy transmission

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has begun the new fiscal year with a calibrated pause, keeping the repo rate unchanged at 5.25 per cent in its April Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting. The decision, taken unanimously, reflects a shift from aggressive policy action to cautious observation after a signi

New pathways for tourism growth

Traditionally, India’s tourism policy has been based on three main components: the number of visitors, building tourist attractions and providing facilities for tourists. Due to the increase in climate-related issues and environmental destruction that occurred over previous years, policymakers have b

Is the US a superpower anymore?

On April 8, hours after warning that “a whole civilisation will die tonight,” US president Donald Trump, exhibiting his unique style of retreating from high-voltage brinkmanship, announced that he agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran. The weekend talks in Islamabad have failed and the futur

Machines communicate, humans connect

There is a moment every event professional knows—the kind that arrives without warning, usually an hour before the curtain rises. Months of meticulous planning are in place. And then comes the call: “We’ll also need a projector. For the slides.”   No email

Why India is entering a ‘stagflation lite’ phase

India’s macroeconomic narrative is quietly shifting—from a rare “Goldilocks” equilibrium of stable growth and contained inflation to a more fragile phase where external shocks are beginning to dominate domestic policy outcomes. The numbers still look reassuring at first glance: GDP


Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter