Tackle water security on both supply, demand sides: Experts
New Delhi, July 15 (PTI) As more than 50 per cent of India’s water reservoirs remain dry despite the onset of monsoon, water security must be tackled on both the supply and demand side, an advisor at TERI’s water division said.
According to data by the Central Water Commission, 166 major reservoirs across India currently hold 32.38 per cent of their overall capacity, a marginal improvement from last week’s 26 per cent.
Speaking about whether India’s water storage and demand management initiatives can secure the country’s water future amid climate change, Syamal Sarkar, a former IAS officer and advisor at the water division of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), said that it is essential to tackle water security from both sides, as demand across the domestic, industrial, and agricultural sectors exceeds supply.
“On supply, storage is key. Major dams currently hold about 250 billion cubic metres, and this can rise substantially through ongoing government initiatives. On demand, the question is how to manage needs when supply falls short, something India, like most countries, has historically neglected in favour of supply-side fixes,” Sarkar, who served as a secretary, water resources ministry, told PTI.
According to Sarkar, per capita water availability has fallen from about 5,000 cubic metres in 1950 to roughly 1,500 currently, and that anything below 1,700 cubic metres is classed internationally as “water-stressed” — a line India has already crossed — with the country now heading towards the 1,000 cubic metre threshold for “water scarcity.”
Speaking about the scale of demand, he pointed out that a person needs two to three litres of water a day for drinking, yet Delhi supplies about 165 litres per person per day, with the rest going towards bathing, washing, and other uses largely without being reused or recycled.
He contrasted the data with Israel, which reuses 60 to 70 per cent of its water for agriculture rather than letting it run to the sea.
“NITI Aayog projects that by 2050, India’s water demand will be double the available supply,” Sarkar told PTI, adding that closing that gap will require both reducing demand through more efficient water management and raising storage beyond current levels.
