{1st Page Tagline:}

What is Water scarcity?

Water scarcity can mean scarcity in availability due to physical shortage, or scarcity
in access due to the failure of institutions to ensure a regular supply or due to a lack
of adequate infrastructure.

Water scarcity already affects every continent. Water use has been growing globally
at more than twice the rate of population increase in the last century, and an
increasing number of regions are reaching the limit at which water services can be
sustainably delivered, especially in arid regions.

A Report by NITI Aayog.

Water scarcity is one of the serious concerns for countries across the world. In 2019,
Chennai made international headlines when the civic bodies declared ‘Day Zero’, as
the city ran out of water and all the reservoirs dried up. A report by NITI Aayog, a
government think-tank, said that if methods for water conservation in India were not
adopted, another 20 cities including Bengaluru, Delhi and Hyderabad, would run out
of groundwater in the next few years. The only solution to avoid this grim situation, is
to adopt universal methods of water conservation, which could be replicated across
households. Here is a detailed guide, for you to understand water conservation and
what can you do at an individual level.
What is Water Conservation?
Water conservation is the technique of efficiently utilising water and cutting down its wastage
or unnecessary usage. Since fresh, clean water is now considered a limited resource, water
conservation has become important and imperative.

Water conservation refers to reducing the usage of water and recycling of

waste water for different purposes like domestic usage, industries,
agriculture etc.
Water conservation includes all the policies, strategies and activities to
sustainably manage the natural resource of fresh water, to protect the
hydrosphere, and to meet the current and future human demand.
Population, household size and growth and affluence all affect how much
water is used.
Factors such as climate change have increased pressures on natural water
resources especially in manufacturing and agricultural irrigation. Many
countries have already implemented policies aimed at water conservation,
with much success.
 Why fresh water?
Only 2.5% of all water on Earth is fresh water, of which less than 1% is accessible –
yet this resource is essential for human life. Fresh water is essential for drinking
water, agriculture, irrigation, industry and power generation. In addition, 10% of the
world’s animal species live exclusively in freshwater habitats, many of which are
threatened with extinction.

It has never been so important to protect our freshwater environments. This is

acknowledged by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals , in particular in
goal 6: ‘Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for
all’.

The two important issues with fresh water are its quantity (or scarcity) and quality

Water quantity (scarcity)

By 2050, nearly half of the world’s population will be living in areas where water is
scarce, and over a quarter of cities globally are already facing water stresses. While
water scarcity risks are highest in and around the Middle East, this truly is a global
problem, with cities such as London, Tokyo, Miami, Bangalore, Moscow and Cape
Town at risk. This makes it even more important that we protect the quality of the
resource we do have.

Water quality

The quality of fresh water is just as important as the quantity. Poor water quality is
the cause of more deaths each year than from all forms of violence, including wars.
Poor water quality is also putting over 50% of freshwater fish species and 30% of
amphibians at risk of extinction.

Water quality refers to a range of measures including temperature, pH, nutrient and
chemical levels. These levels naturally vary between different freshwater
environments, but human activity can cause extreme changes in water quality, from
which natural environments cannot always recover.
You will have heard about the devastating impact of oil spills in marine
environments, but did you know that our freshwater environments are also under
threat, from the chemicals we use across all of our everyday life? This pollution
comes from our farms, our homes, our roads, our sewage treatment works and
more.

Fresh water availability in the world

Do You Know?

• How much of the Earth’s water is salt water?

97 %
• What percentage of the world’s total water is
available to drink?
Less than 1 %
Water conservation: Why is it important?
Water conservation is important for several reasons:

1. Water distribution is uneven and therefore, large parts of

India remain deficient in rain, as well as groundwater.
2. This unequal distribution across the country, makes most
of the population face water scarcity.
3. The requirement of water in urban areas is higher than the
availability.
4. Since rainfall in India is highly seasonal, water is required
to irrigate crops. Water protects the ecosystem and
wildlife.
5. Moreover, conserving water also saves energy. That is, by
using smart appliances which are water and energy-
efficient, we can reduce water usage and save energy too.
Goals of Water Conservation
The goals of water conservation efforts include as follows:

Sustainability.
To ensure availability for future generations, the withdrawal of fresh water from an
ecosystem should not exceed its natural replacement rate.

Energy conservation.

Water pumping, delivery, and wastewater treatment facilities consume a significant

amount of energy. In some regions of the world over 15% of total electricity consumption is
devoted to water management.

Habitat conservation.
Minimizing human water use helps to preserve fresh water habitats for local wildlife and
migrating water flow, as well as reducing the need to build new dams and other water
diversion infrastructure.
Methods of water conservation
Water conservation projects can be done anywhere and in any kind of structure. Here
are different water conservation methods where major savings can be done, without much
hassles:

Rainwater harvesting

Rainwater harvesting is a very effective method of conserving natural water and replenishing
the groundwater level. In this method of conservation of water, the rain water is collected
and allowed to percolate into a deep pit or a reservoir, so that it seeps down and improves
the ground water table.
Water metering

Another efficient way of cutting down water wastage is to install water meters and measure
the amount of water that is being used in residential and commercial buildings. The volume
of water that is used, is calculated and charged according to the price of water. Always
monitor the water bills for unusually high usage. It can help detect any leakage.

Grey water recycling

Greywater recycling is a method of saving used and waste water from kitchen sinks,
washing machines and showers, which is then recycled for usage in toilets, for watering
plants, etc. Unlike rainwater harvesting which relies on rainwater, greywater is surplus in
volume. Environmentalists have demonstrated that the usage of this recycling system has
reduced almost 70% of domestic water usage.

Pressure reducing valves

A pressure reducing valve basically controls the amount of pressure in a hydraulic system.
These valves ensure a pre-set level of water that is to be used. In this way, downstream
components used in the water system last longer and water consumption is also reduced.
This is a very efficient solution for water conservation in industrial, residential, commercial
and institutional buildings.

Water efficient bathroom accessories

Currently, the market is flooded with water-efficient toilet tanks, taps and shower heads that
can cut water consumption by up to 60%. Innovations, such as change in spray patterns in
taps and showers and increased pressure for flushing in toilets, are pushing the boundaries
of water conservation, without compromising on usage habits.
Simple tips for water conservation in
kitchen
• Avoid using running water for cleaning vegetables. Instead, soak the vegetables in a
bowl of water for some time and wash it later.
• When buying a dishwasher, select one with a ‘light-wash’ option.
• If you have to wash a few vessels by hand, turn off the water while you are not
rinsing.
• Reuse the wastewater from RO water purifiers for washing cars or watering your
plants. You can also use this water for mopping or pre-rinse laundry.
• Do not drain the leftover water in water bottles. It can be used for watering plants or
filling up water bowls for birds.
• Do not defrost frozen foods with running water. You can keep frozen things outside
overnight, for defrosting them.
• Switch to water-efficient appliances at home.

Simple tips for water conservation in

bathroom
• Install water-efficient showers and taps, to reduce water usage.
• Turn off the water when you brush your teeth or shave.
• About 20 to 40 gallons of water is spent during a four-minute shower. Take shorter
showers. You can also install water-saving showerheads and shower timers.
• Frequently check for leakages in the toilet flushing systems. This could be simply
done by placing dye tablets or adding drops of food colouring into the tank and if
colour appears in the bowl one hour later, your toilet is leaking.
• Install dual flush toilet systems in the house, which have two mechanisms to flush
different amounts of water.
Different traditional methods of water
conservation in India
Rapid urbanisation and water pollution have been severely impacting the quantity
and quality of surface and groundwater in several parts of India. The country’s
agricultural system is still largely dependent on rainfall. Given the changing rainfall
patterns, the government has been considering the revival of traditional water
conservation methods.
Some of them are listed below:

Talab or Bandhi
Talabs or pond are reservoirs to store water for drinking and household
consumption. These ponds may be natural or manmade. A reservoir spread over
less than five bighas is known as talab whereas a medium-sized lake is known as a
bandhi.

Jhalaras
Jhalaras were constructed for regular water supply for community use, religious rites,
and royal ceremonies in the past. These are rectangular-shaped stepwells with
tiered steps on three or four sides. The subterranean water seepage from a lake or
an upstream reservoir gets collected in these stepwells.
Baoli
Baolis were constructed by the ruling class for strategic, civic, or philanthropic
purposes. These structures were open to people of all sections of the society. Baolis
are stepwells that were beautifully designed with arches and motifs. The place where
these baolis were located mainly determined their purposes. For instance, baolis on
trade routes were used as resting spots while those located inside villages were for
used for utilitarian purposes and social gatherings.
Kund
Kunds were built for the conservation of water and harvesting rainwater for drinking
purposes, mainly in Gujarat and Rajasthan. It is basically a catchment area shaped
like a saucer, sloping towards the circular underground well at the centre. Modern
kunds are built with cement. In earlier days, they were covered in disinfectant lime
and ash.

Bawari
An example of traditional water conservation methods in India, Bawaris are stepwells
that formed the earliest water storage networks in Rajasthan. They were uniquely
designed to divert the minimum rainfall the region would receive to artificial tanks via
canals constructed on hilly terrain in the city outskirts.
Taanka
Taanka is among the traditional types of water conservation systems involving
rainwater harvesting technique specific to the Thar desert region in Rajasthan.
Taanka is a cylindrical paved underground pit, where rainwater flows from
courtyards, rooftops and artificially prepared catchments.

Nadi
Nadis refer to village ponds where rainwater collects from neighbouring natural
catchment areas. As these water bodies get water supply from irregular, torrential
rainfall, they would witness quick siltation due to large amounts of sandy sediments
deposited regularly.

Bamboo drip irrigation system

Among the different methods of water conservation in India, the system of bamboo
drip irrigation has been practiced in northeastern parts of the country. It is an over
200-year-old technique developed by tribal farmers for irrigating terrace fields. In this
system, water from perennial springs is transported using bamboo pipes.

Kuhls
Tapping glacial waters coming from rivers and streams through surface water
channels has been one of the oldest ways of water conservation in the hilly terrains
of Himachal Pradesh. These channels are known as Kuhls widely used for irrigation
of over 30,000 hectares of fields in the region. There are hundreds of Kuhls in the
region.
Jackwells
This is one of the oldest water conservation practices in India. Jackwells are small
pits used for harvesting rainwater. In earlier times, people in the low-lying regions of
the Great Nicobar Islands constructed the structure using bamboo and logs of wood.
Water harvesting structures of Ramtek
One of the traditional save water projects and techniques is the Ramtek model in
Maharashtra. The system uses a network of groundwater and surface water bodies
where tanks connected by underground and surface canals form a link, from the
foothills to the plains. Once water fills the tanks in the hills, it flows to the successive
tanks.
Water conservation projects and
initiatives in India
The Ministry of Jal Shakti under the Indian government launched the Jal Shakti
Abhiyan in 2019. It is a nation-wide water conservation campaign that aims at
encouraging citizen participation to promote water conservation at the grassroot
level. The project on water conservation was launched in two phases from July
1st 2019 to September 30th 2019 and from October 1st 2019 to November
30th 2019.
On the World Water Day, March 22nd 2021, the government launched the ‘Jal Shakti
Abhiyan: Catch the Rain’ (JSA:CTR) with the theme ‘Catch the rain, Where it Falls
When it Falls’. It covers rural and urban areas of all districts in India, during the pre-
monsoon and monsoon period, up to 30th November 2021.
Under the campaign, the government focuses on creation/ maintenance of water
conservation and rainwater harvesting structures, renovation of various traditional
water bodies tanks, reuse and recharge of bore wells, watershed development and
intensive afforestation.