India
The World Bank’s report on India’s water economy is not the first treatise to caution the country about its turbulent water future. Several global as well as domestic organisations have studied the issue and warned that the water crisis will become insurmountable if remedial action is delayed any longer.
The problem is not confined to the limited availability of water, and extends to its indiscriminate use and the rapid deterioration in its quality.
The World Bank report rightly warns that if the apathy towards this problem continues, the country will be left with neither the water required by people and for economic growth, nor enough cash to maintain and build new water-harnessing infrastructure.
The critical aspect of the Indian hydrological cycle is the seasonal pattern of rainfall, which, if not stored in suitable structures, flows down wastefully to the sea, eroding precious soil and causing other damage in its wake. About 50 per cent of the total annual rainfall occurs in only about 15 days and a sizable part of the rest in just four months.
October 11, 2005 6:50 AM | Category: Water