“Harvest And Conserve Every Drop Of Rain Water”
What do you think of NITI Aayog’s findings on water crisis in India?
It is a dangerous landscape and water stress is growing by the day. This report shows the character of water crisis in India.
What will be the long-term economic implications if India goes waterless in the coming decade or so?
In India, the industries are not really thinking about the social aspects of the society. They are creating a crisis by extracting water from underground. The extraction technology of water is creating problems for our future. The report (by NITI Aayog) shows the crisis in future. But what it doesn’t show is how many people are forcefully migrating out of country. Also people are moving from urban to rural areas. The government of India does not have the data on forced migration due to water crisis.
What corrective measures can we take, especially the government, to re-energise water storage in the country?
Water crisis is not only affecting humans, but nature as well. The rivers are drying and the wastelands are not productive. This has led to water crisis. But we have the solution. The solution is to harvest and conserve every drop of rain at every level. We can also focus on the groundwater level by way of rain water conservation. We also need water literacy, teaching young people of India disciplined water usage. Efficient use of water can come from improving water literacy (of people) in India.
Do you think more efforts are needed to encourage public participation in water conservation projects?
Yes. Water literacy and awareness of water crisis can help.
Media reports suggest that you have vehemently opposed the government’s river linking projects. So can you suggest some alternative ways?
Linking rivers is not the solution to drought and floods. The solution is linking rains and rivers. On one hand, start conservation of rain water, and on the other, you can make disciplined usage of conserved water.
If 70 per cent of water is contaminated as claimed by NITI Aayog, what will be the ideal solution?
Now I can say not only 70 per cent but more than 70 per cent of water will be contaminated. Because the industries in Noida, Ghaziabad and Meerut are putting polluted water in the aquifer.
Which part of India has the maximum problems when it comes to lack of drinking water?
Most of the problems are now in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Karanataka. They are the most affected states in terms of water scarcity.
Is India the only country to face such a severe water crisis? Which other countries are facing it?
We are trying to solve the problem temporarily and not permanently in a sustainable way. Countries such as Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Zimbabwe, South Sudan, Botswana are among the 40 countries facing water crisis. People from there are moving to other countries in Europe such as Germany, England, France, etc. But in India, with the strength of our people, we can resolve this problem by the conservation of rain water.
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