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India will likely face an unprecedented water crisis by 2050 as the demand for water in the country is predicted to become twice the supply capacity. According to a report by NITI Aayog, 256 districts out of a total of 734 in the country are water stressed. The number of water stressed districts may increase further, as, in many districts the groundwater level is depleting fast. As a result, freshwater availability has come down considerably, which was evident this summer in Bengaluru and Delhi. In these two premier cities, residents had to run from pillar to post to collect water. Similar crises due to ever-increasing population and unplanned growth may also be reported soon in other Indian cities.
To effectively tackle the crisis, the nation needs to adopt a multi-pronged strategy, from reviving traditional water bodies to taking up projects based on technology to produce and store water. The gravity of the water crisis in the country can be ascertained by the fact that Bengaluru, the much-touted IT capital of India, is now left with only 193 water bodies, as more than 1200 water bodies have disappeared from the city’s map. Similarly in Delhi, unplanned urbanisation has mercilessly destroyed most water bodies. Rampant growth in this historic city has even blocked its drainage system. As a result, the national capital is struggling due to the water crisis in the summer season and facing floods during the monsoon. Many more Indian cities may join Delhi as most cities in the country have been built without sustainability in mind. With global warming becoming a very pressing reality, serious evaluation is needed to protect cities and urban centers in the country.
In this context, the need of the hour is to think differently as we do not have time to rely solely on traditional methods. So to address the water crisis, India can adopt Atmospheric Water Generators (AWG) as such generators have been found useful in hot and humid regions. This technology could be very effective as our nation is surrounded by the ocean on three sides. It will not only reduce our dependence on ground water, but there will also be no transportation cost as AWGs can produce water on the spot. Thus, if such water generators are made available to urban buildings and factories, the demand for water can be solved amicably.
Already, water generators have been installed in several railway stations in Mumbai and Secunderabad. The response to the installation of these machines has been more than satisfactory in these locations. So the government should draw up a plan to provide AWGs in places where people gather on a regular basis. As the water produced by AWGs is potable, it can also be used in apartments which are highly dependent on water supply from their respective corporations or local bodies. It’s time to adopt AWGs and other new and innovative solutions to tackle India’s ever growing water woes.