Water is a resource that has caused India a lot of stress in its long history. Everything from water quality to availability makes it a challenge for India to provide acceptable water to its people. In our time here I have listened to many lectures about the water issues facing India and have also been able to witness them first hand.
Before one can talk about water quality issues, there has to be water available for this to be a problem. India has long been a country that has struggled to meet its water demands. In fact, over the last few decades there has always been a t least one state that has been labeled as suffering through a draught. India’s rainfall patterns are quite unusual in that they depend on the monsoon season to meet their water requirements. In other words, India will go many months without getting any rains at all and then when the monsoon comes the areas will endure a downpour of rain for a few months that consists of most of their annual rainfall. These rain trends require the nation to have sufficient water management policies in order for the water to last through the year. If India is not careful with monitoring the water resources this could cause severe water shortages throughout India. Another practice that contributes to the scarcity of water in India includes irrigation techniques that place significant stress on the groundwater supply. Irrigation is one of the most water intensive processes and India is a largely agricultural country, considering these two factors one can see that the amount of irrigation in India compromises the amount of water available to the people if not monitored properly. India is not a country that receives constant rainfall throughout the year and is prone to draught if monsoon rains do not come to a region. This makes it crucial for the country to be able to store water in reservoirs when rains are plenty, as is the case in Chennai at the moment, and to practice frugality when there are draught conditions.
One of the other major problems that India faces right now is with water quality and sanitation. This is something that we have experienced and witnessed firsthand while being in India. While walking on the streets we have seen streams and other water bodies that have been contaminated by trash, sewage, animals, and other various pollutants I am sure. Also, as foreigners we have had to be conscience about what water sources that our drinking water comes from. We cannot assume that the water is properly sanitized so bottled water at restaurants is a must and we cannot consume ice anywhere, a big contrast to the United States.
Water pollution comes from a variety of sources. In cities, the lack of a sufficient waste management system contributes to pollution. There are hardly any trash cans around and often open sewage areas that are not blocked off in any way so pollutants can migrate into the water supply and make it harder for people to obtain clean water. As India has grown in recent years, urbanization has significantly contributed to water pollution in India. There are industries now that are located near bodies of water that release effluents into water bodies that as a result contaminate drinking water. Also, sedimentation of rivers and other water bodies is another challenge that India’s water sources face. This sedimentation changes the flow and decreases the biodiversity of affected water bodies as well as makes it more difficult for people to use as a clean water source. In more rural areas, the effects of fertilizers that are being used for agricultural production have led to nitrogen and phosphorous excesses not only on the surface where they are sprayed, but in the groundwater as well. This is a huge problem that will most likely get worse as the consequences of this pollution become more problematic as people begin to be impacted by these fertilizers. This, coupled with the fact that fertilizer use does not seem to be diminishing at any point in the near future, does not bode well for the safety of the water sources not only in India but throughout the world. All of these contaminants are contributing to the polluted water supplies in India, something that if not monitored properly will continue to cause problems for the nation.
India’s efforts to provide safe water to its population have not been insignificant. They have built many dams, large and small and have even suggested projects that would connect the Himalayan Rivers so as to provide more water to its people. They have also passed many laws and policies regarding the management and sanitation of water supplies. However, their problems lie in the implementation and enforcement of such policies. India needs to have better enforcement of its water protection policies in order to ensure the quality and availability of their water supply for the future.
Before one can talk about water quality issues, there has to be water available for this to be a problem. India has long been a country that has struggled to meet its water demands. In fact, over the last few decades there has always been a t least one state that has been labeled as suffering through a draught. India’s rainfall patterns are quite unusual in that they depend on the monsoon season to meet their water requirements. In other words, India will go many months without getting any rains at all and then when the monsoon comes the areas will endure a downpour of rain for a few months that consists of most of their annual rainfall. These rain trends require the nation to have sufficient water management policies in order for the water to last through the year. If India is not careful with monitoring the water resources this could cause severe water shortages throughout India. Another practice that contributes to the scarcity of water in India includes irrigation techniques that place significant stress on the groundwater supply. Irrigation is one of the most water intensive processes and India is a largely agricultural country, considering these two factors one can see that the amount of irrigation in India compromises the amount of water available to the people if not monitored properly. India is not a country that receives constant rainfall throughout the year and is prone to draught if monsoon rains do not come to a region. This makes it crucial for the country to be able to store water in reservoirs when rains are plenty, as is the case in Chennai at the moment, and to practice frugality when there are draught conditions.
One of the other major problems that India faces right now is with water quality and sanitation. This is something that we have experienced and witnessed firsthand while being in India. While walking on the streets we have seen streams and other water bodies that have been contaminated by trash, sewage, animals, and other various pollutants I am sure. Also, as foreigners we have had to be conscience about what water sources that our drinking water comes from. We cannot assume that the water is properly sanitized so bottled water at restaurants is a must and we cannot consume ice anywhere, a big contrast to the United States.
Water pollution comes from a variety of sources. In cities, the lack of a sufficient waste management system contributes to pollution. There are hardly any trash cans around and often open sewage areas that are not blocked off in any way so pollutants can migrate into the water supply and make it harder for people to obtain clean water. As India has grown in recent years, urbanization has significantly contributed to water pollution in India. There are industries now that are located near bodies of water that release effluents into water bodies that as a result contaminate drinking water. Also, sedimentation of rivers and other water bodies is another challenge that India’s water sources face. This sedimentation changes the flow and decreases the biodiversity of affected water bodies as well as makes it more difficult for people to use as a clean water source. In more rural areas, the effects of fertilizers that are being used for agricultural production have led to nitrogen and phosphorous excesses not only on the surface where they are sprayed, but in the groundwater as well. This is a huge problem that will most likely get worse as the consequences of this pollution become more problematic as people begin to be impacted by these fertilizers. This, coupled with the fact that fertilizer use does not seem to be diminishing at any point in the near future, does not bode well for the safety of the water sources not only in India but throughout the world. All of these contaminants are contributing to the polluted water supplies in India, something that if not monitored properly will continue to cause problems for the nation.
India’s efforts to provide safe water to its population have not been insignificant. They have built many dams, large and small and have even suggested projects that would connect the Himalayan Rivers so as to provide more water to its people. They have also passed many laws and policies regarding the management and sanitation of water supplies. However, their problems lie in the implementation and enforcement of such policies. India needs to have better enforcement of its water protection policies in order to ensure the quality and availability of their water supply for the future.
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