• Water Crisis: India, as the world’s largest groundwater user, faces a significant freshwater crisis, with 63% of its districts being water-stressed.
• Impact on Agriculture: 25% of agriculture is threatened due to water stress.

CURRENT CHALLENGES

• Urban Water Stress: Cities like New Delhi, Pune, and Bengaluru faced acute water stress during summer 2023.
• Groundwater Depletion: India is the largest global user of groundwater, leading to 63% of districts under stress.
• Impact on River Systems: Intensive agriculture, urbanization, and industrialization adversely affect river systems, crucial for domestic water demands.
• Polluted Rivers: 351 polluted rivers identified by the Central Pollution Control Board.
• Historical Context: Effective water management has been a persistent issue since India’s first National Water Policy in 1987.
• Increasing Risks: Climate change, disasters, inter-state water conflicts, lack of access, and changing water use patterns pose critical risks.

STRATEGIC AREAS OF FOCUS

1. Water Governance

• National Policies: Seven national policies and schemes address various aspects of water supply and demand.
• Nexus Thinking: Integrating water with food, energy, and rural development.
• Case Study: Rajasthan’s Indira Gandhi Nahar Pariyojana: Aims to improve irrigation and drinking water infrastructure but lacks alignment with efficient agricultural water use and energy security policies.
• Example: Atal Bhujal Yojana: Aligns participatory groundwater management with MGNREGS and PMKSY for efficient water use in agriculture.

2. Circular Model of Policy Research and Implementation

• Feedback Mechanism: Implement a circular model instead of a linear policy formulation to evaluation model.
• Case Study: Odisha Millet Mission: Involves academia, research, and industry for locally relevant solutions, with continuous monitoring for necessary changes.
• Application to Water Management: Emulate Odisha Millet Mission for integrating water research, policy, technology, finance, and governance.

3. Inclusive and Reliable Data Infrastructure

• Data Challenges: Significant obstacles in generating essential research evidence due to lack of validated, granular data.
• Case Study: Ganga Knowledge Centre: Generates scientific and technical knowledge for stakeholders in river conservation.
• Priority Actions: Strengthen environmental data standardization, modernisation, and harmonization.
• Ethical Technology Use: Utilize AI for real-time decision-making and participatory methods to include diverse stakeholders.

4. Community Engagement and Communication

• Bridging Gaps: Foster ownership by actively involving communities in water management.
• Case Study: Kerala’s 2023 Water Budget: Participatory approach involving local communities and self-government institutions.
• Value Community Knowledge: Essential for resource conservation.

5. Collaboration and Diplomacy

• Transboundary Water Dynamics: Address shared river basins and state aquifers with neighbouring countries and between states.
• Water Diplomacy: Importance of bilateral committees and multilateral agreements for regional water security.
• Case Study: Joint Expert Team on Flood Forecasting between India and Bhutan: Example of effective bilateral cooperation.
• Multi-Level Governance: National, state, and district-level institutions crucial for inter-state cooperation, exemplified by the Namami Gange Programme.

CONCLUSION

• Transition to Water Security: Integrate strategic steps to move from water scarcity to water security.
• Unified Approach: Bring together science, policy, and people for effective water management in India.