We are at a crisis, and the crisis is not lack of water but the mismanagement of the water that is available to us.
Saji P Mathew OFM
We have grown up hearing the ancient wisdom, "Water is life, and clean water is
health." The recent water stress that cities all over the country, and very
palpably Bengaluru, is facing indicates that our life and our health are at risk. At
any time, in want of water, our electrocardiogram graph can go flat into a
straight line. The demand for water has exceeded the available amount of water.
1.2 billion people, one in every seven persons, across the globe spend their day
searching or waiting for water. Can we bounce back? The answer is in building
and maintaining a blue-green infrastructure.
In a region, if the amount of renewable water per person is below 1,700 m3, the
country is said to be experiencing water stress. If it is below 1,000 m3, it is said
to be experiencing water scarcity. And if it is below 500 m3, it is experiencing
absolute water scarcity. We are not yet at absolute water scarcity level; but
indications are that our negligence, indifference and lack of initiative will reach
us there very soon.
This year, the first city in India to hit the panic button is Bengaluru. But it hasn’t
come as a surprise. The city has experienced a sharp 1,055 per cent rise in built-
up areas in last five decades. This population increase is primarily driven by
migration driven factors such as job opportunities, resource availability and an
improved quality of life. As early as 2014, warnings were issued about rising
temperatures, the disappearance of green cover and constant water scarcity in
Bengaluru due to the expanding built-up areas, but there was no action about it.
Similar may be the state of affairs of most cities. 256 of 700 districts in India
have reported critical or overexploited groundwater levels according to the most
recent study of the Central Ground Water Board. Wells, ponds, and tanks are
drying up as groundwater resources come under increasing pressure due to
over-reliance and unsustainable consumption.
Blue-Green Infrastructure Is the Key
Growing populations, mindless real estate activities, irresponsible use of water,
and added rapid urbanisation and rapid expansion of cities, there is a large influx
of migrants from rural areas to cities. It has caused an increase in the per capita
use of water in cities; the per capita use is steadily increasing every year; thus
cities are on catch up mode constantly. City authorities most often manage it by
transferring water from rural reservoirs to urban areas to meet the deficit.
Considering the downward trend of water level in urban areas, it is likely that
cities will rely heavily on rural areas for water supply in the future, which may
spark a rural-urban conflict.
There are many ways to tackle water scarcity in the cities. Some are tried and did
have repercussions. Building huge dams was one of them. Connecting rivers is
another way. These both invariably serve the rich and capitalists at the expense
of the less fortunate people who get displaced, their farmland being submerged,
etc. water becomes a commodity to be enjoyed by the rich. Dr Veena
Sreenivasan, the Executive Director of WELL (Water, Environment, Land and
Livelihoods) Labs, Bengaluru in a podcast with The Hindu, categorically upheld
the need for building up blue green infrastructure.
Blue infrastructure refers to identifying, building, protecting, and recharging our
lakes, rivers, canals, ponds, wetlands, and other water bodies. As of now most of
our lakes and water bodies are either encroached or are filled with sewage waste
and muck. Thus even the normal and default harvesting and catchment of storm
water is not taking place.
Green infrastructure refers to building and defending, green patches, gardens
with trees, water harvesting pits, etc. from where water can infiltrate into the
earth. In other words, increase the porosity of our earth; that is to make it
capable to absorb every measure of water that falls on it. When out of necessity
we are forced to pave a place, be it for parking or for people to gather, use
friendly materials, pavers with pores in them, create green unpaved spaces in
regular intervals and direct rain water there.
It is time we must open our eyes to other ways to increase availability and
harnessing of water. It may be shocking to know that of the 100 liters of water
that is available for us to use about 80% go waste; only 20% is actually put to
use. The rest just runs down the drain. That 80 liters are available to be treated
and used for agriculture and gardening. It would even be cheaper than buying
tanker water. Another is to capture storm water before they escape to the sea
and become useless for humans. Dig rainwater harvesting pits, direct it to
rejuvenate lakes, ponds, and wells around us.
Water of course is a basic need for the survival of human beings and is part of the
fundamental right to life as enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution of India,
but large dams should be the last recourse, try out all other possibilities, because
huge dams submerge wildlife, villages, they displace people and their farm lands,
and the poor often do not get their fair share of benefits. We are at a crisis, and
the crisis is not lack of water but the mismanagement of the water that is
available to us. Let us fix that first. Remember that only 30 percent of India’s
wastewater is recycled.
In conclusion, we must become adults in matters of water too. One becomes an
adult when you know you have no one else to depend on; you got to fend for
yourself, or will go thirsty and hungry, or even die. Being an adult is a survival
mechanism. As an adult you begin to think, plan, believe, work, and most often
succeed. Do not look out to others to solve our water crisis. We must look with
in. Rumi beautifully says, if everything around seems dark, look again, you may
be the light.
