75 Global News Post 3: India’s water management

As of recently, India’s Water management programs have not helped with cultivating water security or helping the lively hoods of the Indian people. Water management in India is mainly on a local level , which is often done by part-time volunteer unpaid work.  Which in tern does not help ” cultivate water security nor does it help cultivate meaningful livelihoods to manage precious water resources” says author  Nidhi Barta. In India , over 80% of urban and rural water supplies is being served by ground water. With India housing over 18% the worlds population , It only has over 4% of the global renewable water resources within its territory. There are over 250 of the 700 districts that are either in “critical”or “over -exploited” levels according to the  Central Ground water Board data from 2017. but there are water management programs for supply and management in India , the goal being to have secure-water villages. This also includes being able to deliver good quality piped water. Groups such as Jal Jeevan Mission , for ground water management , Atal Bhujal Yojana for water sanitation under Swachh Bharat Mission.  

The rural unemployment in India was about 8.35% as of February from the Center for Monitoring Indian Economy.  The author highlights the need for skilling and up skilling local works in the water management industry , and having workers from community that would have knowledge of the science of ground water and surface water since it is mainly handled people within communities  could beneficial. Nidhi Barta says ” This can help India solve two crises: one of greater water insecurity as resources deplete, especially with a warming climate and second of a lack of gainful employment for the country’s larger labor force”. With ground water in India drawing over 25% of global ground water , having water security could be beneficial to the socio-economic development of the country.