Haarkarjeetgaye Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 https://www.rediff.com/news/interview/21-indian-cities-will-have-zero-tap-water/20190618.htm June 18, 2019 08:31 IST 'If the government does not take any action soon, 21 cities of India will become like Cape Town, with no water.' 'Four cities -- Delhi, Gurgaon, Meerut and Faridabad -- will suffer the worst.' More like this How best to tackle India's water crisis IMAGE: Residents line up to fill containers with drinking water from a municipal tanker in New Delhi. Photograph: Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters India is facing a water emergency of unprecedented proportions. Cities are facing an acute shortage of water and in smaller towns tankers are lining up to provide water. The situation is much worse in the villages, where more and more people migrate to the cities in search of water. "In Nagpur, today, we have Veolia India, a French company, that is providing water... Veolia India now wants to supply water in 18 cities of India. Soon, they will capture the country's water," Magsaysay Award winner Rajendra Singh, below, tells Rediff.com's Syed Firdaus Ashraf. Why is there no permanent solution for a serious issue like water scarcity? Where did we go wrong? Take any political party's manifesto and you will find that they don't talk about water. The tears in their eyes have dried up and the only time they speak about water is when they want to privatise water. One party in its manifesto says it will provide tap water to every citizens's home. But how it is possible? There is no water left. In this crisis, how can you make such promises of jal-nal (water in taps)? This jal-nal is only for private companies. What did earlier governments do to solve the water problem? When water was priority, past governments built large dams. Take Maharashtra, where there are 42 large dams. The vision of the state's leaders was to grow sugarcane and make money. Agriculture was industrialised in Maharashtra. Agriculture became an agribusiness. Today, in Maharashtra, to do sugarcane farming 84 per cent of the water is being taken out from the ground. Is there anything more dangerous than this? Politicians of our country don't have any vision for water. The only vision they have is how to get votes in the name of water. The politicians only think of solving the water issue through private contractors. These private contractors can never find a solution to the water problem. It is only a community that can solve the water problem. But when people don't get involved as a community to solve a problem, then it will never be solved. What about Maharashtra's Jalyukt Shivar programme, which the Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena government introduced? This is a classic example. The first two years of the Jalyukt Shivar was an ideal model programme. There was scientific thought that was put into it. Villagers across Maharashtra had put in Rs 350 crore from their own pockets to solve the water problem. However, later on, when the government started giving Jalyukt Shivar work to private contractors, the people, instead of giving money, stopped doing work. They understood that the contractors are going to siphon off the money in the name of water. Jalyukt Shivar has failed now. Why did the Maharashtra government rope in private contractors? Because they wanted contractors to make money and return it in election time. I don't know who got this idea, whether it was Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis or his ministers. But the buck stops at Fadnavis's table. Why didn't you protest when contractors were involved in the Jalyukt Shivar programme? I informed Fadnavis about it, but he didn't do anything. My job is not to fight, but to do work peacefully. Till the time Fadnavis listened to me, I worked for him. But the day he stopped, I sat at home. Even today I work in Sangli district in Maharashtra where we have ensured rivers like the Agrani and Mahakali provide water in spite of four years of drought. How serious is the water crisis in India? Very soon, 21 cities in India will have Day Zero water (when the taps run dry and people will have to queue up for water). If the government does not take any action soon, 21 cities of India will become like Cape Town, with no water. Four cities -- Delhi, Gurgaon, Meerut and Faridabad -- will suffer the worst. There will be zero water in their reserves. IMAGE: A woman fetches water from an opening made to filter water next to a polluted lake in Maharashtra's Thane district. Photograph: Prashant Waydande/Reuters How is the situation in the villages? People are leaving the villages to come to cities. India's future is turning into a dangerous landscape. When the population leaves the villages and comes to cities, then the urban future is very dangerous. These things are not mentioned in any of the political parties's manifestos. What can the government do if there is less rainfall? Less rainfall is not natural, but it is a man-made (crisis). Scarcity of water is a man-made disaster in India. They have killed trees on the mountains. There is no greenery on the ground. When this happens, then those areas will get clouds, but it will not rain as there will be less air pressure. Whenever man tinkers with nature, then nature takes out its anger on mankind. Heavy rainfall in one region, drought in another -- how can India tackle such a situation? When it rains on the mountains it has to be stopped there and the water needs to be put into underground aquifers so there won't be soil erosion. There will be moisture in the soil due to which there will be greenery. That soil will not silt and accumulate into the river. At present, in India, there are simultaneous floods and droughts because we do not control the flow of rainwater. When water flows with great speed, there is erosion of soil. The place where there is no soil is hit by drought, like in Marathwada. In places where there is soil, it erodes and accumulates into the rivers. So the rivers start overflowing, resulting in floods. If we want to stop floods and drought in India, we have to control the flow of rain water. To make India flood-free, we have to slow the water flow. We need to make sure that water walks and when that water walks, then make it crawl. When it starts crawling, put that water in the belly of the Earth. During then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's term in office, there was a discussion on inter-linking of rivers to solve the water crisis. Will it work? In India, as per the Constitution, water rights are on three levels. First, water right is of the river flow, which is decided by the Government of India. Second is the rainfall water, which rights are with the state government. And the third, is in which panchayats and municipal corporations have the rights on the rainfall water in their jurisdiction. These three levels will always be different. Today no chief minister of any state will say he has surplus water. So how can any government say that river linking will be done and everyone will be given water? Is it true that we are using six times more water than what we used 100 years ago? Our lifestyle has changed. 100 years ago, when humans used to go to the toilet or bathroom, they never used to waste 15 litres of water. Now when we go to the toilet and flush, we waste 6 litres of water on every flush. So the water use pattern has been spoilt in the last 100 years. Earlier, humans were disciplined in using water, but that is not the case now. India was a guru of the world in water discipline. Whenever some guests come home we give them water, not wine as in Europe. We respect water as it is in our culture. We have always considered it to be God. Unfortunately, since the time we put our Gods in concrete cement homes with gates closed, the misuse of water started. This misuse of water is dangerous. IMAGE: Women carry pitchers filled with water. Photograph: Prashant Waydande/Reuters It is said the demand for water in India is expected to reach its peak in 2030. Is it true? Yes, the demand for water is increasing. The demand will increase more and more as time goes by. To get that kind of water we need to have 6 Rs in life -- Respect, Reduce, Retreat, Recycle, Reuse and Rejuvenate nature by water. This indigenous Indian wisdom has a deep understanding of water. We used to follow a rule that as much water as we consume in life, we will return it back to nature before we die. Therefore, we used to consume less water. How much water must a family of four in a city consume? If we start making English toilets on a mass scale, then we will not be able to do with 40 litres daily which is the maximum need for a man. But if we put into practice the 6 Rs philosophy in life, then 40 litres of water is enough for one man. For a family of four 160 litres is more than enough. To use less water, we have to change our lifestyle. Unfortunately, today our society demands water from the government. But at the same time society has forgotten to make its own arrangements for water. In the earlier days, no king used to provide water to his subjects. King, mahajans (learned people) and the public all used to get involved and ensure that the there is is sufficient water in society. Using less water is a socialist thought, while consumption is a reality of capitalism. In India, the trustee system was in place. The East India Company got capitalism in India through trade. In Nagpur, today, we have Veolia India, a French company, that is providing water. It is a private company. When I spoke to local leaders in Nagpur, they say Veolia India is only giving services for water to consumers. So when politicians change their tune, it is not good. Veolia India now wants to supply water in 18 cities of India. Soon, they will capture the country's water. I want to fight against this privatisation of water. But when it rains, people forget about drought. I don't forget, only politicians forget. In the future, power games will be on water. You just watch, multinational companies will play a big role in it. Alam_dar, mishra and Number 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diga Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 Saw a news of severe water shortage in Chennai & it folks have been asked to work from home Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haarkarjeetgaye Posted June 18, 2019 Author Share Posted June 18, 2019 12 minutes ago, diga said: Saw a news of severe water shortage in Chennai & it folks have been asked to work from home I got it as a whatsapp forward, so wasnt sure if it is authentic or not mishra 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stan AF Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, diga said: Saw a news of severe water shortage in Chennai & it folks have been asked to work from home It is true. There is severe water shortage in Sennai. Edited June 18, 2019 by Stan AF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
velu Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 17 minutes ago, Stan AF said: It is true. There is severe water shortage in Sennai. i am seeing only about chennai water crisis in new channels ( youtube ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkt.india Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 How can delhi be short of water when they have yamuna going from there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mishra Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 But AK is promising or giving free water, free electricity, free railway, free this, free that to become CM. No foresight. You tax people to forecast and invest in future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mishra Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 22 minutes ago, rkt.india said: How can delhi be short of water when they have yamuna going from there. Yamuna is gutter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G_B_ Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 Cities need to investment in sewage treatment plants which recycle water. Re Mahaashtra thats exactly what the Fadnavis government is looking to do. https://www.thebetterindia.com/170042/nagpur-sewage-treatment-groundwater-recycle/ Similar plans should be afoot in every city in India. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haarkarjeetgaye Posted June 18, 2019 Author Share Posted June 18, 2019 1 hour ago, rkt.india said: How can delhi be short of water when they have yamuna going from there. You probably haven’t read about Yamuna getting dried up in summers. The areas are increasing year on year mishra 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haarkarjeetgaye Posted June 18, 2019 Author Share Posted June 18, 2019 1 hour ago, G_B_ said: Cities need to investment in sewage treatment plants which recycle water. Re Mahaashtra thats exactly what the Fadnavis government is looking to do. https://www.thebetterindia.com/170042/nagpur-sewage-treatment-groundwater-recycle/ Similar plans should be afoot in every city in India. Even a place like Pune is struggling. The newer societies need tankers in summer mishra 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkt.india Posted June 19, 2019 Share Posted June 19, 2019 (edited) 12 hours ago, Haarkarjeetgaye said: You probably haven’t read about Yamuna getting dried up in summers. The areas are increasing year on year Arey bhai, I live on the banks of Yamuna in Dehradun in the foot hills near Himachal border and there is no dearth of water in Yamuna in summers. In fact, water level increases in summers and decreases in winters due to water getting frozen in the Himalayas. Yamuna cant get dry with so many different rivers from Uttarakhand and Himachal falling into it. In fact nearby just 9 km from my home on the border of HP-UK, Tons river, a tributary emerging from Swargarohini range of himalayas, merges in Yamuna and the Tons carries more water than Yamuna itself. Delhi industries might be hurting the Yamuna water but here the water is absolutely clean. Edited June 19, 2019 by rkt.india G_B_ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mishra Posted June 19, 2019 Share Posted June 19, 2019 ^ They should exactly do what they did for Ganga in Kanpur. This never gets discussed as things like this are not important to media rkt.india 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkt.india Posted June 19, 2019 Share Posted June 19, 2019 13 minutes ago, mishra said: ^ They should exactly do what they did for Ganga in Kanpur. This never gets discussed as things like this are not important to media One water treatment plant is need of the hour in ever city that is at the bank of a river from the North to South. With so many rivers and glaciers, India should not be running out of water at all. This winter came as a boon to Himalayan ecosystem with record-breaking snowfall. It has increased the snow cover by 16% in Uttarakhand Himalayas alone. J&K and Himachal had even more snowfall than Uttarakhand. Some of that snow will become ice and than a part of glaciers. Hopefully, river linking project helps the country with regards to water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haarkarjeetgaye Posted June 19, 2019 Author Share Posted June 19, 2019 40 minutes ago, rkt.india said: Arey bhai, I live on the banks of Yamuna in Dehradun in the foot hills and there is no dearth of water in Yamuna in summers. In fact, water level increases in summers and decreases in winters due to water getting frozen in the Himalayas. Yamuna cant get dry with so many different rivers from Uttarakhand and Himachal falling into it. In fact nearby my home, Tons river, a tributary emerging from Swargarohini range of himalayas, merges in Yamuna and Tons carries more water than Yamuna itself. Delhi industries might be hurting the Yamuna water but here the water is absolutely clean. Good for your area. Just type "Yamuna dries up" in google. You will get a different picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkt.india Posted June 19, 2019 Share Posted June 19, 2019 (edited) 29 minutes ago, Haarkarjeetgaye said: Good for your area. Just type "Yamuna dries up" in google. You will get a different picture. Yamuna is not drying up. People are saying Yamuma drying up because water is diverted through canals for hydro power and irrigation. Yamuna can only dry up if the glaciers dry up which is not going to happen soon. https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india-holy-river-yamuna-is-on-the-verge-of-extinction-366-223-sq-km-basin-is-almost-dried-up-officials-blame-environment-445138 Quote Manoj Mishra, who is since a long time putting efforts to preserve the river said-“Up to Yamuna Nagar, the river has quite sufficient amount of water. In Hathni Kund, water is stored. For a river to flow, 1,800 cusec litre water is needed. In the Kund, 1,348 cusec litre is stored and out of which 881 is given to Delhi via Western Yamuna Link Canal for fulfilling water needs of the capital. Hence, only remaining 352 cusec litre is again released in the river.” Edited June 19, 2019 by rkt.india Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haarkarjeetgaye Posted June 19, 2019 Author Share Posted June 19, 2019 1 hour ago, rkt.india said: Yamuna is not drying up. People are saying Yamuma drying up because water is diverted through canals for hydro power and irrigation. Yamuna can only dry up if the glaciers dry up which is not going to happen soon. https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india-holy-river-yamuna-is-on-the-verge-of-extinction-366-223-sq-km-basin-is-almost-dried-up-officials-blame-environment-445138 Ok. Would you know then why there is water shortage in Delhi , Meerut and Faridabad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haarkarjeetgaye Posted June 19, 2019 Author Share Posted June 19, 2019 1 hour ago, rkt.india said: Yamuna is not drying up. People are saying Yamuma drying up because water is diverted through canals for hydro power and irrigation. Yamuna can only dry up if the glaciers dry up which is not going to happen soon. https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india-holy-river-yamuna-is-on-the-verge-of-extinction-366-223-sq-km-basin-is-almost-dried-up-officials-blame-environment-445138 Manoj Misra needs to define sufficient. It is certainly not sufficient to provide water to Delhi and NCR regions. Tanker mafia is ruling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mishra Posted June 19, 2019 Share Posted June 19, 2019 @OP Modi government has just pledged to put water pipes in every house by 2024. Assuming some delay, I will assume it will reach by 2025. @rkt.india Issue is not limited to rivers drieing up or water diverted. Some time back, I mentioned in some thread that water crisis looms India. Now real way to understand water crisis is ground water level. https://socialissuesindia.wordpress.com/2017/12/27/alarming-fall-in-groundwater-levels-in-india/ This year, when I visited India, I observed one very peculiar thing which Modi Government has done or doing. Its investement in plants and forests. The approach is regeneration of forests in uninhibited lands all across India. Work was/is visible around Delhi. It needs to be done at war scale. Studies relating to Scietific Water harvesting mechanism in cities and their implementation is need of hour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haarkarjeetgaye Posted June 19, 2019 Author Share Posted June 19, 2019 @mishra you are on my ignored users list. So you don’t have to respond to me. Thank you. Laaloo and mishra 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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