Policy watch: India cuts a sorry figure on water usage

If scams could be called one aspect of misgovernance and greed, India’s contempt for sensible use of water is another.

Contrary to what many people say, India has a lot more water than any of its neighbours. Since quantification of water is not always an easy job and can be quite contentious, one way to look at the amount of water a country has is to take satellite imagery and consider the area that comes under water. 

One gets a fair approximation, even if it may not be strictly accurate – because satellite imagery can measure expanse, not depth.  And the numbers confirm that India is more blessed than any of its neighbours (see table). 

The only country that has more water as a percentage of its land area is Russia.
Even Bangladesh, which is supposed to be a riverine country, based on the alluvial estuary of several rivers, has less water surface than India as a percentage of its land area. Nepal, contrary to impressions, is the least blessed.  China and Pakistan have half the water that India enjoys. Obviously, unless India can work out excellent water sharing treaties with these countries, you can expect water disputes with both these neighbours.

But is India using its water well?  An absurd question. There is a reckless waste of water, which political will does not wish to address. Many of its rivers and streams resemble frothing stinking cesspools because the administration does not want to penalise those who pollute the waters. The principle of “polluter pays” has not been enforced.

Then, watch how India has become the world’s biggest exploiter of ground water reserves (see table) in spite of being gifted with abundant water.

What is worse, India does not even have proper measures in place to replenish these reserves. The only state which has seen an increase in ground water tables is Gujarat. But that is because of two reasons. Narendra Modi, its chief minister, has made implementation of drip irrigation near mandatory for agriculture. He also ordered the building of over 8 lakh check dams in his state during the first six years of his chief ministership. His slogan used to be, “Let the water of the pond, remain in the pond; the water of the river in the river. There is no need for it to flow into the sea.”

Compare this with neighbouring Maharashtra where the government has ordered the building of 1,500 check dams this year. Or watch Punjab, where groundwater has been used to the point of the soil becoming saline through leeching.

So, you waste water, waste power, get poorer productivity in crops, and destroy the land that you have.

Sometimes, one wonders if sensible policies emerge only when there is a scarcity, not when one is blessed.