Population threatening availability of water: Centre

Population growth is threatening to the accessibility of water in the country as per capita availability of water is reducing fast, says the Centre.

The average annual per-capita water availability in 2001 and 2011 was 1820 cubic meters and 1545 cubic meters respectively and it may reduce further to 1340 cubic meters and 1140 cubic meters in 2025 and 2050 respectively, says Union Ministry of Water Resources.

As per National Commission on Integrated Water Resources Development (NCIWRD) report, the total water availability of India received through precipitation is about 4000 Billion Cubic Meter (BCM) per annum. After evaporation, 1869 BCM water is available as natural runoff. Due to geological and other factors, the usable water availability is just 1137 BCM per annum including 690 BCM of surface water and 447 BCM of replenishable groundwater.

The total requirement of water in the country for different uses for high demand scenario for the years 2010, 2025 and 2050 has been assessed as 710 BCM, 843 BCM and 1180 BCM respectively. Further, country’s water demand for domestic use, which includes drinking water, has been estimated to 62 BCM and 111 BCM in the year 2025 and 2050 respectively, said the Ministry in its data provided to Parliament.

“The average annual water availability of any region or country is largely dependent upon hydro-meteorological and geological factors and is generally constant. Water availability per person is dependent on the population of the country and for India; water availability per capita is reducing progressively due to the increase in population,” Union Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari said.

As per information provided by States on the online Integrated Management Information System (IMIS), as on July 26, 2018, out of 17.26 lakh rural habitations in the country, 79.48% of them are having the basic minimum service level of 40 liters per day of safe drinking water as per the guidelines of the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP), said the Minister.