GROWING WATER SCARCITY IN INDIA REPRESENTS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR NEW AGE START-UPS

The way in which India manages its scarce water resources accounts for much of its water woes.

- PRIYANKA TANWER

Months after the Bengaluru water crisis, it is now Delhi which is making headlines for the past few days, but it is not just Delhi or Bengaluru’s fight. According to a report, the average Indian wastes 30 per cent of their daily water requirement.

To put into context, a faucet leaking even 10 drips per minute wastes 3.6 litres of water per day, according to the United States Geological Survey. Also, every flush of the toilet uses nearly six litres of water.

While climate change is one of the major reasons behind the shortage of water, overutilisation and wastage have added to the menace.

Since we are seeing these crises back to back, let us understand how waterstressed is India.

Despite having 18 per cent of the global population, India has only four per cent of the global water resources. According to World Bank, India’s per capita water availability is nearly 1,100 cubic metres, well below the internationally recognised threshold of water stress of 1,700 m3 per person, and dangerously close to the threshold for water scarcity of 1,000 m3 per person.

In comparison, the global per capita availability of water is 5,500 cubic metres.