Approach:
Introduce with the definition of water stress. Give a brief about how it is caused and then detailing on its variation regionally in India.
Model Answer:
Water stress is a condition where the demand for water exceeds the available amount during a certain period or when poor quality of available water restricts its use. Thus water stress occurs when deterioration of fresh water takes place in terms of quality and quantity.
Parts of India is going through the stress conditions. CWMI report has stated that the country’s water demand would be twice the available supply.
Many major crises involving water scarcity strike when a growing population’s demand for water exceeds the area’s ability to supply that population’s needs.
Increased food production and development programs can also increase the demand for water in a region, which may eventually lead to water stress.
The increased need for agricultural irrigation in order to produce more crops or sustain more livestock, for example, can be major contributors to local water stress.
Factors for water stress:
Overconsumption
Water Quality
Water Scarcity
The variation region-wise:
- The essence of global water scarcity is the geographic and temporal mismatch between freshwater demand and availability.
- The increasing world population, improving living standards, changing consumption patterns, and expansion of irrigated agriculture are the main driving forces for the rising global demand for water.
- Climate change, such as altered weather-patterns (including droughts or floods), deforestation, increased pollution, green house gases, and wasteful use of water can cause insufficient supply.
- At the global level and on an annual basis, enough freshwater is available to meet such demand, but spatial and temporal variations of water demand and availability are large, leading to (physical) water scarcity in several parts of the world during specific times of the year.
- All causes of water scarcity are related to human interference with the water cycle. Scarcity varies over time as a result of natural hydrological variability, but varies even more so as a function of prevailing economic policy, planning and management approaches.
- Scarcity can be expected to intensify with most forms of economic development, but, if correctly identified, many of its causes can be predicted, avoided or mitigated.
The region wise variation
The Himalayas: the main source of water for the Himalayan states are the fresh water springs fed by numerous rivers originating in the mountains. Urbanization and the resultant pollution, lack of traditional water harvesting methods in these once upon a time water-ample regions is adding to the worries.
Western India: Arid and semi-arid climate of Rajasthan and Gujarat due to scanty rainfall create the conditions of water scarcity. In regions of Maharashtra, the reason for water crisis was incorrect cropping pattern.
Growing of water guzzling crops such as sugar cane is making water unavailable for other purposes.
North and Eastern India: Population pressure and mining industries of these regions in polluting the rivers of these regions, thus making drinking water unavailable for many. Eg. River Ganga and Yamuna are seeing pollution in unprecedented levels.
Northeast: Despite being a region of high rainfall, received from both orthographic and monsoon winds, NE is facing water crisis due to anthropogenic reasons such as mining, pollution and lack of water conservation strategies.
South India: Erratic rainfall, pollution of rivers due to heavy development activities, over dependence on ground water, and lack of conservation efforts are resulting in acute shortage of drinking water in many regions.
Eg. Recent water crisis in Chennai.
The reasons for water scarcity and the extent to which they are felt differ from region to region.
However, it is clear that acute shortage of drinking water is felt in both- regions with heavy rainfall and rainfall deficit regions. This calls for urgent actions in a decentralized manner to handle water crisis all over the country.
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