Challenges faced by the country in water management
Currently, we are facing water shortage as there has been a decline of about 70 per cent of per capita water available in last 60 years. The decline is expected to progress further, reaching a low of 1140 cubic meters by 2050. As per the government of India, per capita availability of less than 1700 cubic meters is considered a water-stressed condition, and when availability drops to 1000, the situation is termed as water scarcity condition. Since there are large variations in both temporal and spatial patterns of precipitation, many regions in the country are already facing water-stressed or water-scarcity conditions.
The various challenges faced by the country in water management include:
- High spatial and temporal variability in respect of rainfall distribution and availability of water resources
- An increase in population is one of the major causes of declining per-capita water availability
- Inadequate water storage for meeting future water demand
- Over-exploitation of groundwater resources
- Droughts
- Low water use efficiency
Measures to Improve Water Storage and Irrigation System
Water storage and irrigation systems form essential components of agriculture and water resource management. These systems range from traditional methods like canals to advanced techniques like drip irrigation. Water storage systems like reservoirs and rainwater harvesting provide consistent water supply and reduce dependency on rainfall. Currently, we are facing water shortage as the per capita water availability has come down from 5177 cubic meters in 1951 to 1545 cubic meters, as per the 2011 census. Therefore, we need to take various measures to improve the water storage and irrigation system.
Table of Content
- Water Storage and Irrigation System
- Challenges faced by the country in water management
- Measures to Improve Water Storage and Irrigation System