Key Points

India has 2.45 percent of the world's surface area, 4 percent of its water resources, and over 17 percent of its population. The total utilisable water resource in the country is estimated at 1,122 cubic km.

Approximately 71 percent of the earth's surface is covered with water, but freshwater constitutes only about 3 percent of the total. A very small proportion of this freshwater is effectively available for human use.

The main sources of surface water are rivers, lakes, ponds, and tanks. The mean annual flow in all river basins is 1,869 cubic km, but due to various constraints, only about 690 cubic km (32 percent) can be utilized.

The Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Barak river basins account for only one-third of the country's total area but hold 60 percent of the total surface water resources due to high precipitation in their catchment areas.

The total replenishable groundwater in India is about 432 cubic km. States like Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu have very high levels of groundwater utilisation, leading to rapid depletion.

Agriculture is the largest consumer of water, accounting for 89 percent of surface water and 92 percent of groundwater utilisation. The share of industrial and domestic sectors is expected to increase in the future.

Irrigation is essential due to the spatio-temporal variability of rainfall, with regions like north-western India and the Deccan plateau being drought-prone. It enables multiple cropping and supports high-yielding crop varieties.

Intensive irrigation in states like Punjab and Haryana has led to a decline in the groundwater table, increased soil salinity, and contamination of groundwater with fluoride and arsenic.

Water quality is degrading due to pollution from industrial, agricultural, and domestic sources. The Yamuna is the most polluted river in the country, especially between Delhi and Etawah.

Key laws like the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and the Environment Protection Act, 1986, have been enacted but have not been implemented effectively to control pollution.

Watershed management refers to the efficient management and conservation of surface and groundwater resources. Its success largely depends on community participation to create a balance between natural resources and society.

The Central Government has sponsored projects like 'Haryali' to enable rural populations to conserve water. State-level programs include 'Neeru-Meeru' in Andhra Pradesh and 'Arvary Pani Sansad' in Rajasthan.

Rainwater harvesting is a low-cost method to capture and store rainwater to recharge groundwater aquifers. Traditional structures in Rajasthan, known as Kund or Tanka, are built to store harvested rainwater.

The policy emphasizes the need for a national water framework law and treating water as an economic good after meeting basic needs. It also calls for community participation in managing water resources projects.

This government campaign was launched to ensure water security through per capita availability. It aims to involve local bodies and citizens in water conservation and creating 'Jal Grams' in water-stressed villages.