{"id":73568,"date":"2026-05-13T17:39:39","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T12:09:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=73568"},"modified":"2026-05-13T18:14:30","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T12:44:30","slug":"water-crisis-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/editorial-analysis\/13-05-2026\/water-crisis-india","title":{"rendered":"India\u2019s Water Crisis &#038; Water Resources Governance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Resources<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>As India aims to achieve <strong>SDG-6 (Clean Water and Sanitation)<\/strong> and realise its vision of becoming a <strong>developed nation by 2047<\/strong>, strengthening water governance will be critical for economic growth, food security, and social stability.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About India\u2019s Water Paradox: Abundance Amid Scarcity<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India supports nearly <strong>18% of the global population<\/strong> but possesses only about <strong>4% of the world\u2019s freshwater resources<\/strong>. According to the <strong>NITI Aayog Composite Water Management Index (2018)<\/strong>:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Around <strong>600 million Indians<\/strong> face high to extreme water stress.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nearly <strong>21 major cities<\/strong> risk groundwater depletion.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Water demand is projected to exceed supply by 2030.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>At the same time, India receives substantial rainfall annually, nearly <strong>4,000 billion cubic metres (BCM)<\/strong>.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>But only around <strong>1,100 BCM<\/strong> is considered utilisable because of inadequate storage infrastructure, uneven geographical distribution of rainfall, seasonal concentration of monsoon rains, and ecological and environmental limitations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Thus, the crisis is less about availability and more about efficient management.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Declining Per Capita Water Availability<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Growing Stress on Water Resources: <\/strong>India\u2019s per capita water availability has sharply declined: above 5,000 cubic metres (1951); and around 1,400 cubic metres (present).\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This decline is driven by population growth, urbanisation, industrialisation, and climate variability.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"cbc3ab\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"695\" height=\"553\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-92.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-73569\" style=\"--dominant-color: #cbc3ab; width:380px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-92.png 695w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-92-300x239.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 695px) 100vw, 695px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India is approaching the threshold of <strong>water stress<\/strong> (1,700 cubic metres) and may soon enter the category of <strong>water scarcity<\/strong> (below 1,000 cubic metres).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Crisis Related To Groundwater: <\/strong>India is the <strong>largest user of groundwater globally<\/strong>, accounting for nearly <strong>25% of global extraction<\/strong>.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Groundwater has enabled Green Revolution-led agricultural expansion, rural drinking water supply, and livelihood security.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>However, over-extraction has resulted in falling water tables, drying wells, land subsidence, and water quality deterioration.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>States such as Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and parts of Karnataka face severe groundwater depletion.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It highlights that India\u2019s water challenge is fundamentally an <strong>institutional and governance crisis<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Institutional Architecture of Water Governance in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Constitutional and Federal Structure: <\/strong>Water is primarily a <strong>State subject<\/strong> under the <strong>Schedule VII of the Constitution. <\/strong>However, the Union government plays a coordinating and policy-support role.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Key Institutions:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Ministry of Jal Shakti: <\/strong>Nodal ministry for water resources, drinking water, and sanitation. It was formed by merging ministries dealing with water resources and drinking water.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Central Water Commission (CWC): <\/strong>It focuses on surface water management, flood control, river basin planning, and dam safety.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Central Ground Water Board (CGWB): <\/strong>It assesses groundwater resources, and provides scientific inputs for aquifer management.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>NITI Aayog: <\/strong>It introduced the <strong>Composite Water Management Index (CWMI)<\/strong> to promote competitive and cooperative federalism in water governance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Major Government Initiatives<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM): <\/strong>It was launched in 2019 to provide <strong>functional household tap connections (FHTCs)<\/strong> to rural households.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It enhances rural health and sanitation, reduces burden on women, and strengthens decentralised water management.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The mission has now been extended till <strong>2028<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Atal Bhujal Yojana (ATAL JAL): <\/strong>It focuses on sustainable groundwater management in water-stressed regions. Its key <strong>features <\/strong>include community participation, water budgeting, aquifer mapping, and behavioural change.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It marks a shift from supply-side to demand-side management.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY): Its <\/strong>objective is \u2018Per Drop More Crop\u2019. Its <strong>components<\/strong> are micro-irrigation, drip and sprinkler systems, and water-efficient agriculture.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Irrigation efficiency is vital since agriculture consumes nearly <strong>80% of India\u2019s freshwater.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) Mission: <\/strong>It aims to improve urban water supply, develop sewage treatment systems, and promote wastewater reuse.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Urban India faces increasing pressure from rapid population growth and pollution.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Namami Gange Programme: <\/strong>Integrated river rejuvenation programme focusing on pollution control, sewage treatment, biodiversity conservation, and riverfront development.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It reflects a basin-based approach to river governance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Challenges in Water Governance<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Institutional Fragmentation: <\/strong>Multiple agencies handle irrigation, drinking water, groundwater, sanitation, and urban water supply.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It creates policy overlaps, coordination failures, and weak accountability.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Interstate Water Disputes: <\/strong>Conflicts such as Cauvery dispute, Krishna water dispute, and Ravi-Beas conflict show the limitations of cooperative federalism in water sharing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Climate Change: <\/strong>Changing rainfall patterns are increasing floods, droughts, and extreme weather events. It necessitates climate-resilient water governance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Pollution and Water Quality: <\/strong>According to CPCB reports, rivers are heavily polluted due to untreated sewage and industrial discharge; and groundwater contamination by arsenic and fluoride affects several States.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Way Forward: Towards a Circular Water Economy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Need for Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM): <\/strong>India needs to transition from a linear \u201cuse and discard\u201d model to a circular water economy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Key measures include:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Wastewater Recycling: <\/strong>Reuse treated wastewater in industry and agriculture; and reduce freshwater demand.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Efficient Irrigation: <\/strong>Crop diversification, water-efficient crops, and precision agriculture.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Rainwater Harvesting: <\/strong>Urban rooftop systems, and revival of traditional tanks and ponds.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Technological Innovation: <\/strong>Smart metering, GIS mapping, IoT-based monitoring, and aquifer mapping.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Community Participation: <\/strong>Panchayat-led water governance, local water budgeting, and participatory groundwater management.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>India\u2019s water future depends not merely on rainfall but on governance reforms. The following steps are essential:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Strengthening river basin management authorities<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Enhancing Centre-State coordination<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Promoting data-driven policymaking<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Encouraging behavioural change in water use<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Integrating climate adaptation into water planning<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Expanding wastewater reuse and recycling<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Improving urban water infrastructure<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A sustainable and equitable water governance framework is indispensable for achieving SDG-6, food security, public health, economic resilience, and environmental sustainability.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background has-fixed-layout\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Daily Mains Practice Question<\/strong><br><strong>[Q] <\/strong>Discuss the major issues associated with water resources governance in India. Examine the effectiveness of recent government initiatives in ensuring sustainable and equitable water management.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/opinion\/op-ed\/how-india-is-governing-its-water-resources\/article70971386.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source: TH<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Daily-Editorial-Analysis-13-05-2026.pdf\"><strong>Download PDF<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Published on:<\/strong> 13 may, 2026<\/p>\n<p>As India aims to achieve SDG-6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and realise its vision of becoming a developed nation by 2047, strengthening water governance will be critical for economic growth, food security, and social stability.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":73572,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-73568","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editorial-analysis"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/05\/indias-water-crisis.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73568","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=73568"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73568\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":73574,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73568\/revisions\/73574"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/73572"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=73568"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=73568"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=73568"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}