The Hindu 05.02.2014
‘India will face water scarcity by 2025’
Fifty countries in the world will face stress or
scarcity of water by 2025 and India is one of them. While half of India
faces physical scarcity, the remaining half faces economic scarcity of
water resulting in sale, Professor of the Department of Geo-Engineering
of Andhra University P. Jagadeeswara Rao has said.
Speaking
on ‘Water resources: issues and challenges- a geospatial perspective’
at Andhra University Research Forum’s programme on Tuesday, he said the
country lacked a coherent water policy. The per capita consumption came
down to 1820 cubic metres in 2001 from 5,177 cum in 1951. Eighty per
cent of the diseases were water-borne and every week 47,000 children
were dying owing to diseases caused by contaminated water.
Prof.
Jagadeeswara Rao said as against 11 per cent domestic consumption in
developed countries in India it was only 5 per cent. However, free
supply of water was not possible in view of costs involved in pumping,
treatment, and delivery. Contamination of water was a big problem with
industrial effluents in cities and use of fertiliser in agriculture in
rural areas, he said. The country was also facing increasing scarcity
with lakes and rivers drying up, saltwater ingress and groundwater
depletion. Water laws and audit were yet to be in place.
Conservation stressed
Prof.
Jagadeeswara Rao stressed the need for conservation stating that the
forest cover had slipped from 35 per cent in 1947 to 21 per cent now.
Deforestation would cause soil erosion and prevent precipitation
required for rainfall. Conservation through various means like
check-dams, gulley plugging and rainwater harvesting needed to be taken
up.
Prof. Jagadeeswara Rao said nano technology was
said to have the potential to desalinate one litre saltwater at a mere
one paisa but when it would become a reality was not yet known. Andhra
University College of Engineering Vice-Principal P.S. Avadhani also
spoke. Chief Convener of the forum K.R. Rajani said water-related issues
came into sharp focus with bifurcation. Convener S. Adiseshu and
co-convener S. Jhansi Rani participated.