#PaniKiPareshani is Real: 10 Facts Point to a Growing Crisis

A NITI Aayog report states that 40% of Indian population will have no access to drinking water by the year 2030.

Here are ten facts that show the water crisis in India is serious.

(Photo: The Quint)

With news of depleting groundwater resources and drying taps in cities like Bengaluru, Chennai and even Delhi making headlines, the ‘Pani Ki Pareshaani’ is real. Here are 10 facts to be reckoned with.

On 5 June, IndiaSpend reported that 72% of districts in Maharashtra were hit by drought, and more than 6,000 water tankers are used to supply water to villages and settlements everyday.

72% of districts in Maharashtra are hit by drought.

A 2018 study led by Duke University found that owing to the decline in groundwater-table, there was widespread Uranium contamination in 16 states.

There is widespread Uranium contamination in groundwater in 16 states.

The latest report on water management prepared by NITI Aayog found that of the 24 states analysed on various indicators, Gujarat was the highest performer on water resource management.

The lowest performers were Jharkhand and Meghalaya.

Out of 100, Gujarat scored 76 on water resource management, Madhya Pradesh 69.

The report further stated that 40% of the population will have no access to drinking water by the year 2030.

The NITI Aayog report called this the “worst water crisis in India’s history.”

Data made available by the Ministry of Drinking Water and sanitation shows that “as of March 2018, there are 3,65,050 Scheduled Tribe dominated habitations in the country, out of which 3,01,858 (82.69%) habitations are fully covered with provision of safe drinking water supply.”

Madhya Pradesh has the highest number of tribal habitations fully covered by drinking water supply.

Odisha and Jharkhand follow close after MP.

District-wise data provided by Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation shows that over 12 lakh people across 11 districts in Bihar are affected due to high Arsenic content in water. In UP, over 6 lakh are affected.

There is high Arsenic in water in many parts of Bihar.

A 2018 report by the Central Ground Water Board estimates a “very high” stage of groundwater development in states like Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan, to imply that more water is used annually than it is created.

More water is consumed in Delhi, Punjab and Haryana than is generated. 

The NITI Aayog report also estimates that 84% of rural households don’t have access to piped water.

Do you have piped water? 

Further, due to water scarcity, at least 600 million people face extreme water stress. Inadequate access to water claims the lives of at least two lakh people each year.

At least two lakh people die each year due to getting access to water.

Real-time drought monitoring system DEWS, or Drought Early Warning System, shows that as of 31 May, almost 6% of India’s land area is exceptionally dry, and almost 11% extremely dry.

It’s a dry summer! 

Through The Quint’s My Report, several citizen journalists have reported on a water crisis in their cities as well. Are you facing it, too? Write to us.