Water Crisis - An Overview | CE 012

Water Crisis - Global and Indian Perspective

As a human being, we always run behind benefit, profit, wealth, treasure and other materialistic things. But we never care of some precious items since these are apparently available in plenty and we don’t have to bear any appreciable cost against them. Sunlight, air and water are the best examples of such items. Here, we will try to feel the reality of water crisis and discuss a few points on water conversation system.

Fresh water or domestic water is used by human being and all other living organisms for their daily requirement. Potable water is one that is safe to drink and normal to taste. Contaminated water is one that contains bacteria and hence causes diseases. Polluted water is one that contains undesirable substances and hence is unsuitable for drinking and domestic use.

Human civilization is completely dependent on fresh water for drinking, cooking, washing, sanitation, health, crop production, industry, irrigation, construction, energy and other numerous purposes. In fact, fresh water is an inevitable part of Eco system of the earth. Vegetation and wildlife are primarily dependent upon adequate fresh water resources. Living organisms belonging to both zoological and botanical systems of the land need continuous fresh water supply for their survival. Hence, fresh water is one of the most precious elements on the earth.

Now, let us see the total water picture of our globe.

Out of a total surface area of 510 million sq. km. of the earth, about 29% (148 million sq. km) is land area and the balance 71% (362 million sq. km) is covered by varieties of fresh and saline water bodies including the oceans and seas. This 71% area of water body houses a total of about 1,455 million cu km of water. A huge 97.3% of this is the saline water contained in all oceans and seas. The fresh water share is only 2.7% (about 39.3 million cu km) of the total water. Three fourth of this fresh water (about 30 million cu km) is beyond the use of human civilization because it remains in the form of ice or glacier, mostly in north and south arctic zones of the earth and the rest in mountain tops. Remaining 0.64% (about 9.3 million cu km) of fresh water may be available in the form of ground water (0.61%), lakes and rivers (0.014%), atmospheric vapours (0.001%), soil moisture (0.005%) and others (0.01%) but again, a small portion of this fresh water is accessible to human civilization. Rationally speaking, less than 0.1% (about 1.3 million cu km) of total water is practically available for the service of mankind.

This means that the earth has a finite supply of fresh water and that is being presently shared by a huge 7.6 billion people of the present world. It has been estimated that the world population will reach around 9.8 billion by 2050 while, owing to many reasons, the amount of fresh water will be reduced by about one fourth of the present value. Hence, the per capita availability of water will gradually decrease. Experts on the subject are thinking that by 2050, water scarcity will reach in such an acute stage that it will be difficult to supply adequate potable and domestic water to as high as half the total population of the globe.

On this background, let's see the daily water usage picture of the world. It shows an extremely dispersed graphics. While North American and Japanese people consume an average of 350 lpcd (liters per capita per day) of water, European people use 200 lpcd of water, people of Sub-Saharan Africa get only 10 to 20 lpcd. In India, the allowable limit is 135 lpcd but many our countrymen do not get it.

Even today, over 1.5 billion of the total world population are deprived of clean drinking water. About 2.6 billion people have inadequate access to water for sanitation and waste disposal. Almost 1 out 5 persons on this earth has no source of safe drinking water. Recent studies show that about one third of the world population live in water stressed countries. Africa and Asia are already hard hit by water crisis. People of African countries like Ghana, Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya and even some people of India have to walk miles to get some water. Over drifting, wastage and pollution of water resources are intensifying the problem day by day.

The above picture gives us an idea that water is really a precious element - not only from sociological but also from economical point of view. The time has now been reached to understand the value of each drop of water. The time has now been reached for planning and implementation of a proper water conservation policy or water management scheme to safeguard our future generations.

Scientists have already pointed out that efficient water conservation processes need be adopted immediately to overcome the alarming situation. The fundamental purpose of water conservation is to take all necessary steps so that a single drop of water is not misused. The vision for water conservation should include (a) the right of every citizen of the country to get adequate safe drinking water, (b) availability of adequate domestic water to all at the vicinity of their home for meeting the basic needs of human life like cooking, washing, sanitation etc., (c) minimum detriment owing to water borne diseases and (d) minimum water pollution resulting in clean river and other water bodies.

Water conservation is a long and sustained task and involves not only the scientists, engineers and technologists but the general people of the country belonging to both urban and rural sectors. The process of water conservation should, therefore, be cultivated in a strict way. Some common processes of water conservation system should include

A. Population Control

B. Pollution Control

C. Efficient Sanitary and Water Supply System

D. Waste Water Reclamation and Recycling

E. Rain water harvesting

F. Desalination of Sea Water

G. Water Awareness Campaign etc.

Let’s discuss these one by one.

At present, India has the second largest population of 1.32 billion housed in an area of about 3.3 million sq. km which yields a population density 400 per sq. km. China has the largest population of 1.41 billion housed in an area of 9.60 million sq. km with a population density 147 per sq. km. U.S.A has a population of only 0.326 billion housed in an area of 9.83 million sq. km with a population density 33 per sq. km.

In 1951, Indian population was only 0.36 billion. According to Experts’ Estimate, India will have the largest population of 1.80 billion in 2050 ! It means that an increase of 5 times in just 100 years. Even China will be far behind us at that time with an estimated maximum population of 1.50 billion. Naturally, such an over population will put ourselves to more strain in respect of water scarcity if we don't be cautious of it from today.

All of us are aware about water pollution but cannot sacrifice ourselves to prevent it. It may true that regulations already imposed in our country to prevent water pollution are not adequate. But, it is also true that we have paucity of both will and force to enforce the rules that do exist. Lot of research papers are being regularly presented in seminars held all over the country to describe the report of gradual worsening of pollution, lot of funds are being oozing out for planning ways to prevent it but implementation part is yielding a big zero. Now it is time for us to realize that prevention of pollution first need the creation of common sense and consciousness of ourselves only.

A huge quantity of water, varying from 25 to even 40% of total supply, is just wasted and misused through our sanitary and water supply system which in turn deficits value to our economy ! This could have been easily prevented if we could be a little cautious about it.

Reclaimed and Recycled waste water may be a valuable resource in cities or towns with dense population and limited water supply. In small scale, the system may also be adopted for multi-storied buildings and residential complexes. Recycling of waste water can improve the quality of streams and lakes by reducing the effluent discharges they receive.

A continuous drifting of ground water is always going on. It's for irrigation in rural area and for domestic purposes in urban area. This is lowering the aquifer level down to a warning situation. Available study reports reveal a drastic dip in water table of Kolkata – ranging from 5 to 8 m. Reports of other cities will also be alike. To get rid of it, rain water harvesting may be implemented in both rural and urban areas.

In urban area, rooftops of buildings may be treated as mini catchments to obtain the precipitation. Rain water, collected from the rooftop of a lot many of buildings may be channeled to a common storage for necessary treatment and purification. In rural area, surface water conservation may be adopted by proper utilization and restoration of existing ponds or digging some more. Such a conservation system not only yields domestic water to the rural people for their daily use but also helps in minor irrigation, increases productivity of adjoining lands, prevents environmental pollution and maintains ecological balance.

Desalination of water refers to removing salt and other minerals from salty sea water for the purpose of getting fresh and drinking water. A huge plant and processing system is required for the purpose. The sea water contains more or less 35,000 ppm (parts per million) of dissolved solids consisting of mostly sodium chloride and some calcium / magnesium salts. But the allowable limit for potable water potable is only 500 ppm. Since it is a huge task, a lot of energy vis-a-vis, money is required for the purpose and hence, the desalination of water is not yet a cost effective process.

In India, a few desalination plants have been installed in severe drought-prone states like Tamilnadu, Gujarat and Rajasthan. Their experiences show that the production cost of desalination of sea water ranges from Rs.40 to 50 per cubic metre of fresh water – means 4 to 5 paise per liter. Still this is not an economic output for a poor country like us and hence, we will have either to innovate a more cost effective way.

Awareness development of general mass about the value of water is a part and parcel of water conservation system. It is hopeful to note that campaigns for the purpose have got an acceleration at present but again, we ourselves have to be cautious. If we just do not care of closing a flowing bib-cock in our home and in streets then nobody will be able to save us. Stringent policies on these aspects should be adopted at the national level.

The human society has already solved many problems which were earlier the causes of many conflicts. Man possesses the inherent quality of creating problem as well as of solving it. The human society is advancing through developments for its quality of creating problems and is surviving due to its quality of solving problem. Pessimists from different corners have started expecting a war for water in near future. But the optimists are confident that the human society will take a right decision at a right time so that the man doesn’t have to face its own diminish either from water or from war.

Acknowledgement:

1. Encyclopedia Britannica

2. World Bank Reports

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