While the access to drinking water and good sanitation in the country has increased in the last decade, it is yet to meet international standards. For instance, according to the Centre for Sustainable Development (CSD), while the rural sanitation coverage was estimated at 1% in 1980, this has reached 21% in 2008. Similarly, the share of Indians with access to improved sources of water has increased significantly from 72% in 1990 to 88% in 2008.
Nevertheless, it adds that nearly 72% of Indians still lack access to improved sanitation and no major city in the country is known to have a continuous water supply, thanks to weak infrastructure and lack of financial resources.
The three-day Bangalore water summit to be held from February 1 will be a step towards assessing possible solutions to a possible water crisis by 2025. By then, it is estimated that more than half of the world’s population will be facing a water-based vulnerability and by 2030, some studies suggest that the water demand will exceed supply by 50%.
“The aim of the summit is to deliberate on topics such as water resource management, ground water management, rain water harvesting, water quality and will work to find solutions to a number of issues, such as meeting the growing demand for water and better sanitation,” said Dr A Ravindra, chairman, CSD.
The summit is expected to serve as a platform for exchange of ideas among different participants from all over the world. “This will not only enhance awareness about water issues but also find possible solutions.”
On agitations against the summit based on the assumption that it is aimed at privatisation of water supply, he clarified that the assumption was completely incorrect and misleading. “The purpose of the summit is to discuss ways and means of providing adequate and safe water for all sections of the population,” he said.
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