Water: The next frontier
Investments in highways and power are likely to peak by 2025. The next sector should be water
about 200,000 lakh people die every better-off households pay the full eco-
year as a result of being unable to nomic costs of water they use, should
access safe water. By 2030, the report also be a priority. Formats to introduce
says, the country’s water demand is private investments and participation
likely to be twice the available supply. are clearly necessary.
The ferocity and intensity of water In 2002, the Indian government had
disputes across the country, such as set up a high-powered task force under
the Cauvery water dispute, the deep Suresh Prabhu to do a deep-dive on a
distress in the farm sector, and the comprehensive river-linking pro-
recent water ‘blackout’ in Shimla are gramme. In September 2003, this task
all indicators that this problem is with force submitted an Action Plan II offer-
us, here and now, and not in some ing the view that an integrated pro-
hypothetical future. gramme would be much higher than
INFRATALK The Niti report ranks states based
on a water management index aimed
the initial estimate of ~5.6 trillion. Cut to
2018, such a programme now, experts
VINAYAK CHATTERJEE at incentivising water management believe, could be well above ~20 trillion.
and governance. Niti Aayog’s water Besides the “solution” to floods and
index for instance, assesses states on droughts, the project claimed certain
nine separate themes, ranging from benefits. These include:
T
he water resources ministry groundwater, irrigation, watershed Q
Irrigation of 34 million hectares of land
recently moved a proposal for development, rural drinking water, Q
Potable water for rural and urban areas
cabinet approval of the ~400 bil- and urban water supply. Tellingly, it is and industrial water-supply
lion Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project some of the water scarce states — Q
34,000-MW hydel power generation
(ERCP). To be completed in seven Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Q
Inland navigation
years, the project’s core aim is to move Maharashtra, Telangana — that have NEED OF THE HOUR The ferocity and intensity of water disputes across the Q
Ecological upgradation and increased
surplus water from rivers in South faced severe droughts in recent years country are all indicators that this problem is with us, here and now, and not in tree farming
Rajasthan (such as the Chambal), — which have taken the lead in water some hypothetical future Q
Sizeable employment generation
through a system of canals to areas in management and score the best on the Q
National integration
South Eastern Rajasthan which face index. Sixty per cent of states (14 and state-state relationships will be important for governments to set pri- In recent times, Union Minister
large water deficits. The aim is to irri- of 24), however, are classified by core to the sector because of the basic orities. The report, for instance, high- Nitin Gadkari has emerged as an enthu-
gate nearly 10,00,000 acres of land. the index as ‘low performers’, fact that water flows don’t really lights groundwater resources as a crit- siast for inland waterways. The
The ERCP project could well mark including Rajasthan. respect national and state boundaries. ical area, with 54 per cent of India’s National Waterways Bill 2015 intro-
a point of inflexion for the infrastruc- But the water sector is unlike many Third, there will be no one size fits groundwater wells declining. The cen- duced by him in Parliament in May
ture sector. Investments in traditional other sectors which have seen big all. In some states and areas, linking tral government is already suggesting 2015, recognised 101 riverine waterways
infrastructure sectors like highways inflows of investment in recent years. river waters (such as in the Rajasthan to states that power tariffs for farmers as National Waterways.
and power are likely to peak by 2025. If First and foremost, it is deeply canal project) may be key to availabil- be linked to the water table. Twenty- In 1998, the BJP government under
the criticality between supply and emotive and connected to people’s ity. In other areas, managing ground- one major cities are expected to run AB Vajpayee inaugurated the National
demand is any criteria to go by, the way of life in a way that roads, ports, water resources, and discouraging out of groundwater by as early as 2020. Highway Development Project (NHDP),
next sector for massive programmatic airports, or even power is not — water intensive cash crops may be Addressing the problems of both which kickstarted a huge and ongoing
investments should be water. inequalities of access (perceived and the answer. groundwater augmentation (the ‘sup- process of road modernisation in this
Niti Aayog, in a landmark report real) are felt far more strongly. This Fourth, managing water access in ply’ part of the problem) and ensur- country. An NHDP equivalent in water,
published just two months ago means that perhaps more than any urban areas faces a different set of ing that demand for groundwater is but tuned to local nuances as befits the
(Composite Water Management Index: other sector, politics will play a critical problems and local governments will managed, perhaps by incentivising complexity of the sector, is sorely needed.
A Tool For Water Management), point- role, whether the governments and the play a critical role. farmers to grow less water-intensive
ed out that 600 million Indians face investors like it or not. Despite the diversity and complex- crops, should be a priority. Managing The author is chairman of Feedback Infra.
‘high to extreme water stress’ and Second, centre-state relationships ity of the sector, or because of it, it is urban water supplies, by ensuring that Twitter: @Infra_VinayakCh
