Water is essential for life and is abundant in nature. The population explosion and human greed have been so great that we are now working overtime to exhaust or pollute this gift of nature on a war footing. Factually, burning candles from both ends involves, on the one end, just encroaching on the water catchment areas of the water bodies, taking out groundwater, reducing water levels every year without replenishment, and in addition to these, even polluting the underground water. In many places in India, groundwater is simply non-consumable for humans. Thousands of crores have been spent and counting, but the Ganga, Yamuna, or any river in the country is becoming increasingly polluted, with some areas reduced to seasonal rivers or drains carrying city sewage. Despite much brouhaha, little has been achieved except lip service. Water conservation is not just a word; it should be our mission. PM Modi has rightly highlighted the looming danger and emphasised a pragmatic approach to handle water issues. It is not a one-day or one-month exercise but requires proper planning to get it implemented. Ancient India was much closer to mother nature than the present generation. There were open water ponds and bowlis in every nook and cranny of cities and villages, serving a dual purpose as a water source for humans and animals as well as water replenishment bodies. Humans, in their greed for land, have destroyed this natural water conservation cycle; there are no longer any ponds or bowlis. City after city, there is an acute scarcity of water, and we are simply not doing enough to reverse the slide. It is really painful to observe factories being closed because they polluted groundwater or river water. The role of various Pollution Control Boards is very much in question; they are simply not doing enough. Another factor is eating habits. Ancient India, not long ago, was a millet-consuming country, but within a few decades, we had wheat and rice as our staple diet. Rice is the most water-intensive crop; as a result, the GoI is attempting to educate the public about the advantages of millet over rice and wheat consumption. Our neighbouring Punjab is a classic case of excessive groundwater usage for rice production and industrial effluents, both of which play an adverse role in water conservation. Some methods have to be devised to turn the tables. New building laws are being framed and implemented; rainwater harvesting is a must to get permission for new buildings now. Government offices should lead by example, following the simple thumb rule that no Government building should be constructed without water conservation measures in place. City town planners must ensure similar laws for any building permits. Awareness is essential, from the classroom to the workplace. It is simply a crusade in which everyone has to actively participate. Rickety schemes must be avoided. In rural India, all three tiers of the Panchayati Raj have to play important roles. The upkeep of local ponds and bowlis must be ensured through local bodies and municipalities.
Water conservation initiatives are continuously taken up by the Central Government and covered under various schemes and programs such as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Atal Bhujal Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), Unified Building Bye Laws (UBBL) of Delhi, 2016, Model Building Bye Laws (MBBL), 2016, Urban and Regional Development Plan Formulation and Implementation (URDPFI) Guidelines, 2014, etc. The Ministry of Jal Shakti has taken up a nationwide campaign, “Jal Shakti Abhiyan,” for creating appropriate rainwater harvesting structures in urban and rural areas of all the districts in the country. Grants are there to take up rooftop rainwater harvesting in Government buildings like panchayats, bhawans, anganwadis, primary health centres, etc. Efforts are on; more awareness is required to make it happen.
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