to produce the products that is exported from India) and has one of the most
water-intense economies. Despite the challenges in managing water resources, India
is one of the largest water users per unit of gross domestic product (GDP). This
suggests that the lack of governance of water resources accounts for much of
India’s water woes.
It not only affects GDP directly in the form of loss of productivity of agriculture,
industrial and service sectors but also decreases the ability of the human resources
to think, invent and produce which indirectly hampers the growth of the country.
Currently, nearly 820 million people in 12 major river basins of India are facing
high-to-extreme water-stress situation. Out of these, 495 million people alone
belong to Ganga river basin which generates nearly 40% of the country’s GDP. The
scarcity of water resources also has many cascading effects including desertification, risk to biodiversity, industry, energy sector and risk of exceeding the carrying
capacity of the urban hubs.
2 Therefore, to ensure sustainable water management,
there is a need for the country to take measures not only for better outcomes but
also make efforts involved for achieving these outcomes.
2 Government Efforts: Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA)
Water in India is a State subject, and its optimal utilization and management lies
within the domain of the States. In July 2019, the central government picked up the
challenge of water management and conservation by launching a campaign called
Jal Shakti Abhiyan for water conservation and water security
in 1592
water-stressed blocks in 256 districts. The Jal Shakti Abhiyan is a time-bound
mission-mode water conservation campaign, and the programme has the capacity to
change the overall scenario prevailing in the water sector of India. During the
campaign, officers, ground and surface water experts and scientists from the
Government of India are working together with state and district officials in India’s
most water-stressed districts
3 for water conservation and water resource management by focusing on accelerated implementation of a five target intervention.
The JSA aims at making water conservation a Jan Andolan (people’s movement)
through asset creation and extensive communication.
Intervention Areas for JSA Include
1. Water conservation and rainwater harvesting
2. Renovation of traditional and other water bodies/tanks
2
Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog, Composite Water Management Index, August 2019.
3
Water-stressed districts: Districts with critical or over-exploited groundwater levels as per the
Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) 2017. For states without critical and over-exploited
groundwater levels, districts with the least availability of groundwater in comparison with the rest
of the districts in the state have been selected.
Sustainable Urban Water Management Strategies
25
water-intense economies. Despite the challenges in managing water resources, India
is one of the largest water users per unit of gross domestic product (GDP). This
suggests that the lack of governance of water resources accounts for much of
India’s water woes.
It not only affects GDP directly in the form of loss of productivity of agriculture,
industrial and service sectors but also decreases the ability of the human resources
to think, invent and produce which indirectly hampers the growth of the country.
Currently, nearly 820 million people in 12 major river basins of India are facing
high-to-extreme water-stress situation. Out of these, 495 million people alone
belong to Ganga river basin which generates nearly 40% of the country’s GDP. The
scarcity of water resources also has many cascading effects including desertification, risk to biodiversity, industry, energy sector and risk of exceeding the carrying
capacity of the urban hubs.
2 Therefore, to ensure sustainable water management,
there is a need for the country to take measures not only for better outcomes but
also make efforts involved for achieving these outcomes.
2 Government Efforts: Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA)
Water in India is a State subject, and its optimal utilization and management lies
within the domain of the States. In July 2019, the central government picked up the
challenge of water management and conservation by launching a campaign called
Jal Shakti Abhiyan for water conservation and water security
in 1592
water-stressed blocks in 256 districts. The Jal Shakti Abhiyan is a time-bound
mission-mode water conservation campaign, and the programme has the capacity to
change the overall scenario prevailing in the water sector of India. During the
campaign, officers, ground and surface water experts and scientists from the
Government of India are working together with state and district officials in India’s
most water-stressed districts
3 for water conservation and water resource management by focusing on accelerated implementation of a five target intervention.
The JSA aims at making water conservation a Jan Andolan (people’s movement)
through asset creation and extensive communication.
Intervention Areas for JSA Include
1. Water conservation and rainwater harvesting
2. Renovation of traditional and other water bodies/tanks
2
Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog, Composite Water Management Index, August 2019.
3
Water-stressed districts: Districts with critical or over-exploited groundwater levels as per the
Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) 2017. For states without critical and over-exploited
groundwater levels, districts with the least availability of groundwater in comparison with the rest
of the districts in the state have been selected.
Sustainable Urban Water Management Strategies
25