INDIA’S WATER CRISIS

THE WATER CRISIS

WHAT IS HAPPENING IN INDIA
„ India is 1/3 the size of the U.S. but has the second
largest population in the world
„ As a result of a stressed urbanized system, rural
regions lack resources.
„ More than 50% of the country's population lack
access to clean safe drinking water: over 100
million people
WHAT IS HAPPENING IN INDIA

„ While India's economy continues to rapidly grow,

hundreds of millions of people across the country
still live with poverty, malnutrition, unhygienic living
conditions and without access to clean drinking
water.
„ Main causes of the crisis are government
corruption and human waste.
„ Sewage systems often contaminate water sources
PROBLEMS
 ROCHESTER VERSUS INDIA

Average personal use

Average personal – 4 liters a day
use – 65 gallons a
day Approximate Rivers contain large
pH is 7 in local amounts of coliform
Genesee River water (bacteria) as well as in
contains small drinking wells
amounts of coliform Genesee River
(bacteria) and most Indian Small rural villages do
rivers have not have easy access
Access to clean, cloudy or turbid to water
filtered water is water
plentiful Water borne diseases
are present in water
RURAL INDIA

„  70% of India’s population lives in rural areas

„  50% of the rural water supply is regularly contaminated
with toxic bacteria
„  Fill jugs in streams or springs
„  Taps run sporadically
„  Water doesn’t come out clean
„  Some use barrels to catch rainwater
„  30-70% of the water is lost to leaky pipes and theft.
„  Pumps contaminate water
 PUNJAB
„ Much of the ground
water in Punjab has been
used up
„ In the next 20 years,
Punjab will be a desert
„ Severe uranium
contamination possibly
because of fertilizers,
ultimately causing kidney
damage
 WEST BENGAL
„  West Bengal is home to 8% of
India’s population. It owns 7.5%
of the water resource of the
country and is becoming very
scarce.
„  2008-Naturally occurring
arsenic contamination in
groundwater
 URBAN INDIA
„  22 of India's 32 big cities
face a water crisis.
„  Rapid growth in India's
urban areas has stretched
government solutions
„  Piped water available few
hours a day
„  As of 2011: No city
receives water 24/7
 MUMBAI
„  Cheapest drinking water in
country, but being wasted
„  Until June 2014, treated drinking
water used to water gardens
„  July 2014, government cutting
daily water supply by 20%
because of poor rainfall
„  Government advisory to use
water sparingly and not for
unnecessary reasons
„  Depend heavily on monsoon as
source of water for lakes
 NEW DELHI
„  8th most populated city in the
world
„  Lack of solid waste treatment
facilities damage Yamuna River
„  2007-roughly half of city’s raw
sewage went directly into Yamuna
„  Waste from 1,500 unplanned
neighborhoods runs straight into
river
„  Aquifers help store water but can
run out
„  Polluted by landfills and waste
SOLUTIONS
WATERSHED MANAGEMENT
„  Watersheds are being managed in India to help utilize rainfall and
regional water resources to make it accessible.
„  Leveling land and managing rain water into holding ponds and small reservoirs
„  Increases soil moisture and recharges ground water
„  Allow for second variety of crops to be planted
WATERSHED MANAGEMENT CONT…

„  Dams used to hold water

„  Public debate on tradeoffs of dams
„  Can be built locally and relatively cheaply
 GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION
„  Increase funding for pollution
control
„  Current resources are inadequate

„  Construction of wastewater

treatment plants
„  Charge proper price for water
resources
„  Engage with private industry if
necessary to complete goals
 LOCAL SOLUTIONS
Life Straw
„  The life straw is a portable
water filter, in the form of a
straw that can transform
contaminated water into safe
drinking water just by drinking.
Life Sack
„  The life sack is a portable sack
that carries and cleans water.
They carry 15 liters of water at
a time.
 THE LIFESTRAW
„  Personal portal water purifier
„  Filters out the bacteria and
pesticides as well as dirt that
make the water undrinkable.
„  The life straw can last three
years and it can filter up to
1000 liters of water.
THE LIFESACK
„  Dual Uses
„  Rice and grain shipping bag
„  Water storage and
transportation
„  Uses SODIS
„  Solar Water Disinfection
Process, UV- A Radiation
„  Thermal treatment and
SODIS process work
together to the kill
microorganisms and
bacteria in water that can
cause death.
 WELL CONSTRUCTION/ MAINTENENCE

„  More wells increase access

„  Must be protected by covering and
accessed by pumping to reduce
contamination
„  Maintenance covered by usage
fees and revolving loans
„  Less time collecting water
means more time in school
 CONCLUSION

„  Issues
„  Secure water for families comes at a high cost
„  Infrastructure Flaws
„  Consistent drought
„  Irrisponsible use of water resources
„  Solutions
„  Watershed management
„  Government intervention
„  Local Fixes
QUESTIONS?
“No one is useless in this world who
lightens the burdens of another.”-
Charles Dickens
 WORKS CITED
„  http://www.buylifestraw.com
„  http://www.wri.org/publication/watershed-development-india-economic-
valuation-adapta
„  http://inhabitat.com/6-water-purifying-devices-for-clean-drinking-water-
in-the-developing-world/lifesack-water-purifier-kit1-2/tion-
considerations
„  http://www.nbr.org/research/activity.aspx?id=356