Drinking Water Security in Gujarat The Current Scenario

Water security entails guaranteeing access to safe drinking water, efficiently managing water resources, and mitigating the threat of water-borne diseases. In this article, Amitava Bhattacharya presents a situational analysis of drinking water security in Gujarat, highlighting the government's initiatives to ensure access to safe drinking water in the State. Additionally, the author delves into the groundwater quality monitoring plan in Gujarat, emphasizing the idea that by purifying water today, we can ensure cleaner drinking water for the future.

- Amitava Bhattacharyya

Water scarcity is not unusual, even in countries with ample water resources. It is obvious that climate change, along with human factors, is increasingly depriving people of their right to access to safe water and sanitation. This may be because of a number of factors, such as crumbling infrastructure and distribution systems, contamination, conflict, or inadequate management of water resources. Access to drinking water becomes restricted due to water scarcity.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by the United Nations makes it very apparent that everyone must participate for sustainable development to take place. It also emphasizes the importance of a comprehensive and human-centred approach to managing water resources. SDG 6, or clean water and sanitation, focuses on providing everyone equitable access to safe, inexpensive drinking water by 2030. The availability of freshwater is in an alarming state right now. Our world’s water resources are at a critical point due to factors including an increasing population, fast urbanization, declining water quality, and, of course, competing demands for freshwater and over-extraction of groundwater without sufficient recharge. According to the World Bank, India is one of the nations with the worst water stress.2 Today’s water availability is about one-third of what it was in the 1950s. The total water demand, which was 710 billion cubic metres in 2010, has been estimated by the National Commission for Integrated Water Resource Development Plan to be 1180 billion cubic metres now. The demand for water in the nation is anticipated to double by 2030. To ensure that we can meet our future water needs, an integrated approach to water resource management has become necessary.3