The need for clean and safe drinking water is an ever pressing matter with the growing risks and water scarcity present in India right now. Check out this article explaining it all!
As our global population swells, it is becoming increasingly difficult to provide everyone with safe and clean drinking water. Global Citizen reports that "Nearly 163 million people among India's population of 1.3 billion - or more than one in 10 - lack access to clean water close to their home, according to a 2018 WaterAid report."
The lack of access to clean water is particularly dire in poor, highly populated countries. In India, this lack of access has even become life-threatening for many. Here, you can learn how extreme the water scarcity in India is.
Over Half of India Faces High Water Stress
Both of these crops require a lot of water to grow. A shortage of water may lead to a nationwide food shortage. Because rice and wheat are among the cheapest foods available, this will only further hurt the poorest people in India.
To be considered a highly water-stressed area, over 40% of your available surface water must be used up every year. According to the World Resources Insitute, 54% of India faces high or extremely high water stress. This means that over 600 million people in India alone are prone to water shortages.
To make matters worse, the most highly-stressed areas of India are in provinces called Punjab and Haryana. In these provinces, the majority of the country's rice and wheat crops are grown.
Over Half of India's Groundwater Is Depleting
The surface water isn't the only water source being sucked dry in India. The country's groundwater wells are being run dry, too. In some areas, they're losing more than 1 meter of water per year.
Some parts of India are extremely prone to extensive droughts. Farmers in these areas rely heavily on these groundwater wells to provide water for drinking, bathing, and most importantly, irrigating.
This is yet another example of how water scarcity in India can cause other disastrous consequences if the problem isn't managed. The country's population is also expected to grow to 1.7 billion by 2050, further straining the country's resources.
The Epidemic of Poor Water Quality
Water scarcity isn't the only issue in India. For 100 million Indians that do have access to water, the water isn't safe to drink, shower, or cook with.
The Indian government has a wing that monitors water quality called the Bureau of Indian Standards. This bureau monitors both surface and groundwater for many contaminants.
There are 632 groundwater quality districts in India. According to the BIS, only 59 are safe to drink from. The rest test too highly for chlorine, fluoride, iron, arsenic, and other chemicals that are unsafe to drink in high concentration.
In 2011, 130 million people lived in areas where at least one chemical was concentrated too highly in their groundwater.
If you'd like to work with us to solve this water crisis in India, please consider donating to Breakthrough Water today.
Every year, 3-4 million people die from a waterborne illness, so water scarcity in India and its sanitation problems are no laughing matter. Many people in India risk their livelihoods on their water supply every day. This status quo should not, and cannot, continue.