India: Addressing the Water Crisis
India, with its 142 crore population heavily reliant on the monsoon, is facing a water crisis exacerbated by rapid urbanization and inefficient water management. Water-intensive crops like rice, wheat, and sugarcane consume over 80% of the country’s water supply. The annual per capita water availability is projected to decrease, posing a challenge as India has been categorized as “water stressed” since 2011.
Recognizing the urgency of the situation, some private enterprises are taking steps to address the crisis. Vishvaraj Group, in Nagpur, has invested in a sewage treatment plant that extracts 1,900 lakh litres of treated water daily, catering to the needs of the city’s growing population for the next 35 years. Similarly, industries like Tata Steel and JSW Steel are implementing measures like waste water recycling to reduce their reliance on fresh water.
With government initiatives to increase sewage treatment capacity and invest in water distribution infrastructure, there is hope for a more sustainable future. By 2026, India plans to invest significantly in equitable water distribution, waste-water reuse, and water body mapping to combat the water crisis.