Question

It goes without saying that one of the things that will perhaps be the scarcest commodity of the 21st century is water. On global scale it is assessed that over the next twenty years or so, water use by human beings will increase by 40 % and that 17% more water will be needed to grow more food for the increasing population. Water is finite in nature and the quantum of water cannot be increased. The World Water Vision Commission drew attention to the ‘gloomy arithmetic of water’, as water demand will outstrip its availability. As such state-of- the–art and innovative technologies have to be developed for reducing wastage of water and recycling waste water. There is a need for Water Secure World and to achieve this objective 5000 experts had gathered in Hague in 2000 to prepare a policy document on this subject. And they have indeed provided very useful guidelines.
The scenario of water in India is equally gloomy. Against our requirement of about 2788 billion cu. metres including that from the groundwater sources, much less is actually available. The problem is further compounded by the fact that only 15-16% of water resources have been developed thus leaving a very large gap thereby emphasizing the need for conservation and preservation of water.
As regards the drinking water scenario, although it is claimed that 83% of urban population and 90 of rural population is covered, the sustainable availability, coverage and quality of water carry a big question mark.
The situation on the sanitation front is far worse, so much so that even metro cities have not been fully covered with underground sewerage. My visits to several cities and towns as a consultant to the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank has revealed that even though the water supply and sanitation facilities are available, these are either not working or operating at very low efficiency. The main reason being lack of skills and shortage of funds. This has resulted in untreated waste water flowing into drains and rivers and other water bodies. We have before us a really grim scenario of polluted rivers and water bodies. The problem is further compounded due to discharge of untreated waste water from industries and dumping of solid waste. These issues need to be addressed more effectively and at the earliest.
The Government of India and the state governments are addressing these serious problems. The World Bank and the Asian Development Bank and other funding agencies are also supporting several schemes in the field of agriculture and water supply and sanitation to the cities and towns. But the magnitude of funds required far outstrips the funds available. In the Ninth Five Year plan alone , there was a gap to the tune of about 39,000 crore rupees in this field. A time has come when the private sector can prove to be helpful to inject money and to improve the efficiency.
There is not a huge scope for such private involvement in the water industry. Privatization is not the panacea of all ills, but this could be a way for change and improvement. As a safeguard against any abuse and misuse there is a need to build necessary checks and balances.

Answer 1

Answer:

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