Water is essential for human survival, economic development, and the environment. We have been celebrating World Water Day on March 22 every year since 1993. The day was first officially proposed in Agenda 21 of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro. The theme of World Water Day 2025 is “Glacier Conservation”. In some regions, glaciers provide life-saving water for people and wildlife. Glacier hazards include glacial lake outburst floods and rising sea levels due to melting glaciers, which affect millions of people worldwide. Marking a key milestone in global efforts to protect these vital glaciers, which provide fresh water to more than 2 billion people worldwide, UNESCO and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) officially launched the International Year of Glaciers on January 21, 2025.
When water dries up, people cannot get enough to drink or irrigate crops. Unsafe water and inadequate sanitation leave 2.4 billion people vulnerable to life-threatening diarrheal diseases, including cholera, typhoid, fever, and other water-borne illnesses. More than 785 million people worldwide lack access to at least basic water services. 884 million people lack safe drinking water. It is estimated that the oceans cover about 70.8 percent of the Earth’s surface and make up 97 percent of the hydrosphere. Seawater is too salty for human consumption. About 2 percent of the world’s water resources are in the form of polar ice caps and glaciers. Therefore, only 1 percent of the total water resources are available for human consumption and other purposes as fresh water.
Declining water resources in India
India, being an agricultural country, is the largest consumer of the country’s water resources. According to an estimate, 4.9 percent of water is used for domestic purposes, 5 percent for industry, 78 percent for irrigation, 4.1 percent for power generation, and 8 percent for other purposes. India receives about 4 percent of the world’s rainfall. It ranks 133rd in the world in terms of annual water availability per person. India’s total renewable water resources are estimated at 1,897 sq km per year. The annual per capita availability of fresh water was 5,177 cubic meters in 1961, which decreased to 1,869 cubic meters in 2001. It is likely to fall further to 1,341 cubic metres in 2025; it is 1,140 cubic metres.
If the per capita level falls to 1,000 cubic metres, it is generally expected to severely affect the health and economic activities of the entire country. At this level, a water crisis will be seen in 25 per cent of India’s geographical area, affecting 21 per cent of the total population. Already, 5.5 per cent of the country’s geographical area and 7.6 per cent of the population are facing severe water scarcity, with availability below 500 cubic metres. Uncontrolled exploitation of groundwater has other manifestations. In West Bengal, about 5,00,000 people are exposed to arsenic through groundwater.
Increased salinity in Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Punjab, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu as well as high fluoride levels in the western parts of the country in peninsular India affect about 14 million people. According to the National Commission on Agriculture in India, the average rainfall is 400 million ha. Of this, 70 percent evaporates. 215 m.h.m is absorbed by the land and 115 m.h.m flows into rivers. By 2025, water use will be 105.m.h.m 92% for agriculture and 8% for domestic and industrial irrigation. Projects need to be built to make good use of water. Only 65 projects have been completed since 1951. Construction of 181 projects is progressing slowly. Apart from this, modernization of projects is also needed in India for more availability of water resources.
Water Pollution Environmental Issue – Controversies
Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies like lakes, ponds, rivers, oceans, groundwater etc. The causes of water pollution are detergents, chemically disinfected by-products, food processing wastes, pesticides, herbicides, petroleum hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds, acidity caused by industrial discharges, heavy motors from motor vehicles, silt runoff from construction sites etc. The construction of large dams causes some environmental problems like migration of tribals, loss of forests, loss of fauna, siltation of reservoirs, loss of non-forest lands, stagnation of water near reservoirs, fear of earthquakes. Reservoir induced earthquake and micro climate changes. Apart from this, disputes arise between different regions, states and countries regarding water resources. For example, the dispute over the Jordan, Tigris-Euphrates and Nile in the Middle East Asia, the Indus Water Treaty between India and Pakistan, the Cauvery water dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, the Krishna water dispute between Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra and Karnataka.
For the sustainability of water resources in India, the water law should be properly implemented, the use of chemical fertilizers should be reduced and a watershed management program should be systematically implemented. It is the duty of the government to create awareness among farmers on the use of water by planting trees. Construction of dams without creating environmental problems. A suitable water policy should be implemented. Interlinking of rivers is also necessary to save water resources.
Priority should be given to NGOs and non-governmental organizations in the implementation of water resource programs. Water resource disputes between states and countries should be taken advantage of for the equitable and fair use of water resources. Massive announcements are needed to make future generations understand the importance of water. Water sustainability is possible by making the right laws according to the circumstances and following a suitable water policy.
