I-7-Water Management - Need of the Country.

Abstract

Water today, defines human, social and economic development. Without adequate supplies and management of fresh water resources, socio-economic development simply cannot take place. Population growth is expected to result in a decline in the per capita availability of fresh water. It has been estimated that by 2017 India will be water stressed. About 85% of rural population in India is solely dependent on ground water, which is polluted with several geogenic and anthropogenic contamination. Chemical contamination namely fluoride, arsenic and selenium pose a very serious health hazard in the country. It is estimated that about 70 million people at risk due to excess fluoride and around 10 million people are at risk due to excess arsenic in ground water. Pollution of ground and surface waters from agro-chemicals (chemical fertilizers and chemical pesticides) and from industry poses a major environmental health hazard. People are suffering with various debilitating illness (including cancer- Punjab state) due to consumption of contaminated water. Suffered people mostly belong to poor status and cannot afford water purification techniques. The Ministry of Agriculture should promote the adoption of sustainable natural farming methods and move policies away from the use of chemical inputs. The pollution Control Board must ensure that the industry specific standards on industrial effluent discharge quality, as outlined within the Environment Protection Act 1986 are adhered to by all industries. Non- complying industrial plants must be closed until suitable effluent treatment plants are installed. Watershed development can become an acceptable unit of planning for optimum use and conservation of water resources and needs to be implemented extensively across the country.