Water, water everywhere and all the
boards did shrink
Water, water everywhere nor any drop to
drink.
Today
every society, every nation is confronted with the need to conserve water as
only less than 1% of the total water resources are usable to the human beings.
Everyone is the today’s world is concerned about the paucity of water resources
around the globe.
If
we talk about our motherland India, then the situation here is also not too
good and there is no denying in the fact that India is also facing the problem
of water scarcity. The Union Ministry of water resources has estimated India’s
water consumption to be around 1093 BCM in the year 2025 and around 1447 BCM in
the 2050 but the reports say that water security in India is moribund.
If
we talk about the facts then in India the annual per capita availability of
water was 5177 m3 in the
year 1951 which reduced to around 1342 m3 in the year 2000 and the
National Commission for Integrated Water Resource Development (NCIWRD) has
estimated that India is going to become “Water stressed” by the year 2025 and
“Water Scarced” by the year 2050.
The
main problem that India faces today is that most of its rivers are
transboundary rivers coming from different countries like China, Pakistan and
Bangladesh and India’s riparian relationships with neighbouring countries like
Pakistan, China and Bangladesh are progressively becoming fragile raising
continuously raising concerns over regulation of river waters.
China’s
aggressive south to north water diversion projects on the rivers that originate
from the Tibet region, especially Yarlung Tsangpo(Known as Brahmputra River in
India) is opening up a new front of uncertainity in Sino-indian relations as
well as the hydrological dynamics of South Asia. China’a proposed dams in
Brahmputra river could be a grave danger as 2 billion people in South and
Southeast Asia are dependent on water resource of Tibet.
If
we talk about Pakistan, then we the same situation continues here. Pakistan,
just like other sectors has been hostile towards India in this sector too.
Notwithstanding been continuously flouting the rules of Indus River Valley
Treaty and has been lodging humongous disapproval of India’s proposed dams and
other constructions over the river.
The
same thing is there with Bangladesh. Bangladesh has been continuously demanding
India to release more than 3000 cusecs of water everyday, a very high and
intolerable amount, from the Teesta River.
Now
the question comes whether Indian states are free from the problem of water
cooperation? As far as my knowledge goes they are and the facts fillip my
statement. The situation inside the boundaries of the nation is not good too.
Even the states are at disputes at water sharing.
Kaveri
river has been a major source of conflict between the Indian states of
Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Karnataka alleges that it does not get its due share
from Tamil Nadu of the respecting river while Tamil Nadu pays the argument that
it has developed more than 30 lakh acres of land on the banks of river and
that’s why it is impossible for it to shed its water to the state of Karnataka.
Krishna
river, the second biggest peninsular river in India, which runs for a distance
of 404 KM in Maharashtra, 480 KM through Karnataka and 1300 KM in Andhra Pradesh
has been a major source of controversy between the aforementioned states and
all these states continue to tussle for its lion’s share.
Here
are some steps through which these controversies can be resolved:-
1.
Indian
government should declare water as a national property.
2. In the tribunals set
up to resolve the conflicts between different states of India under the
Inter-State river water dispute act 1956, states should be the only party.
3.
A
time frame should be set up in which the conflicts have to be resolved to
restrain and debilitate all the hindrances in the path to peaceful cooperation.
4.
Neutral commission bodies should be set up to
judge the matter and to resolve the conflicts.
5.
Only
expert judges should be made to sit in the tribunals rather than any politician or political party.
While
international front India has a strong need to emend its diplomatic policies
and has a strong need to effect a radical change in the overall dysfunctional
relationship and invest in long term political linkages considering the
sensitivity of water.
Water
is the most integral and crucial part of our life and today we have a strong
need to do something to save this pivotal resource as life can’t exist sans
water.
Cooperation
can start from any level but it just needs sincere by we people.
Jai Hind, Jai Bharat
Jai Ma Bharti
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