I grew up in the city of Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh (formerly known as Allahabad), popularly known for hosting the Kumbh Festival and the confluence of three major and sacred rivers of India – Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati. I learned to swim in Yamuna from the age of four with my cousins and uncles. This is what every summer looked like till I turned eight. Water was joy, rejuvenation, healing, learning, growth, and fun.
This was a family tradition, which no longer continues because of the polluted river.
In 1999, when I used to swim in the Yamuna, I was taught, according to school textbooks, that water is an infinite resource. Only to wake up one day and realise that we are a water-scarce nation, seeing people in Kanpur Dehat struggle for water. A similar story unfolded in Jind, a district in Haryana, where I was deputed as a Chief Minister’s Good Governance Associate (CMGGA).
When I began digging into the issue five years ago, I was shocked to learn that India extracts 200% more groundwater than is sustainable—more than the United States and China combined. At the same time, we treat only 20–30% of our wastewater, and reuse rates are below 10%.
This places an enormous and unsustainable burden on our freshwater resources.
Water is the backbone of life, yet India stands on the edge of a deepening crisis. Our annual water demand has surged to 1,123 billion cubic meters (BCM), but our available supply is just 690 BCM—a dangerous shortfall. Groundwater, which provides 85% of rural and 50% of urban water needs, is being extracted at rates we can’t afford.
What’s driving this crisis?
Rapid urbanisation and changing land-use patterns have drastically reduced our natural ability to recharge groundwater. As cities sprawl, open land gives way to concrete, leaving little room for rainwater to seep into the earth. Traditional systems like stepwells, ponds, native forests, and wetlands—once vital for recharge—have been neglected or destroyed. On top of this, a booming population and unsustainable irrigation practices, such as excessive flood irrigation, have drained aquifers faster than they can recover. Meanwhile, weak policies, unregulated extraction, and a lack of enforcement have led to widespread overuse and mismanagement.
Despite these alarming numbers, water security remains an afterthought. Why? Because until the taps run dry, the crisis seems invisible. Most people are disconnected from natural water sources—rivers, ponds, and lakes are often seen as someone else’s responsibility. A common mindset persists: water is the government’s job. This lack of community ownership fuels the ongoing pollution and neglect of vital recharge systems.
If we don’t act now, we’ll face severe urban shortages, collapsing groundwater levels, and plummeting agricultural output. Water security isn’t just an environmental concern—it’s a social and economic imperative. The time to act is not tomorrow. It’s now.
