Water Crisis

Delhi's groundwater extraction at 99% while Bengaluru at 150%: Govt

Delhi's groundwater resources are heavily strained, with the overall extraction rate at 99.13 per cent, categorised as "critical", while the situation in Bengaluru is even more alarming with the overall groundwater extraction rate at 150.84 per cent, the Jal Shakti ministry said on Monday. Responding to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Raj Bhushan Choudhary, said that while desalination technology using reject heat from nuclear reactors is operational at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu, it is not widely applicable. Instead, the reverse osmosis (RO) membrane technology is deemed suitable for treating groundwater, the minister said. The government has also assessed groundwater dynamics in urban areas like Delhi and Bengaluru, but similar data for Mumbai is unavailable due to insufficient data collection. Delhi's groundwater resources are heavily strained, with the overall extraction rate at 99.13 per cent, which is categorised as "critical", Choudhary ...

Abrupt, 'irreversible' drop in global freshwater levels, Nasa study claims

Recent data from Nasa satellites have revealed that Earth's surface has lost freshwater abruptly since 2015. This major drop coincides with a 2014 to 2016 period of El Niño warming

Water woes example of BJP, Mahayuti's failure to provide solutions: Cong

The Congress on Tuesday accused the Mahayuti government in Maharashtra of creating a water crisis in Marathwada and said the region's water woes remain a glaring example of its inadequate planning and failure to provide sustainable solutions. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the Mahayuti's "six-step guide to creating a water crisis" includes delayed implementation of a water grid. Despite launching the ambitious Marathwada Water Grid Project in 2019, the BJP-led government failed to ensure its timely execution, he said in his post on X. Ramesh said that after returning to power by horse-trading in 2022, the Mahayuti revived the Water Grid Project but its execution continues to be slow, with no substantial relief provided to Marathwada's water-scarce regions so far. The government's focus on securing Rs 20,000 crore from the central government and international organisations has delayed the scheme's implementation on the ground, the Congress lea

Half of global food production at risk due to water crisis, shows report

The water crisis could jeopardize more than half of the world's food production and cause an average global GDP loss of 8 per cent by 2050, with lower-income countries facing up to a 15 per cent loss, according to a new report. The report by the Global Commission on the Economics of Water, an international group of leaders and experts, said that weak economic systems, destructive land use, and the persistent mismanagement of water resources, combined with the worsening climate crisis, have placed the global water cycle under unprecedented stress. "The water crisis threatens more than half of the world's food production by 2050 and could cause an 8 per cent loss of GDP in countries globally, with losses as high as 15 per cent in lower-income nations, alongside even larger economic consequences," the commission said. Nearly three billion people and over half of the world's food production are located in areas experiencing drying or unstable trends in water availability. Several cities

India, Israel join hands for new water technology centre at IIT Madras

India and Israel have joined hands for the establishment of a new water technology centre at IIT-Madras, which is expected to serve as a "key contributor" to India's efforts to achieve sustainable water supply for all. The Embassy of Israel in India in its statement termed the deal a "significant milestone" in the ongoing collaboration between the two countries in the field of integrated water resource management. A Joint Statement of Intent was signed to establish a Center of Water Technology at the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. "This tripartite agreement, signed by the Embassy of Israel, IIT Madras, and the AMRUT mission of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, reflects a shared commitment to address the critical challenges of water management in India," it said. The Center of Water Technology aims to become a hub for innovation, research, and capacity-building in water technologies, particularly focusing on sustainable solutions for urban water supply.

Facing flak from LG Saxena, Delhi govt issues flood control order

The Delhi government has issued the Flood Control Order for this year, days after Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena flagged that it had not been issued. After Delhi was hit by incessant rains on Friday, leading to waterlogging and loss of lives, Saxena had said it is shocking that the Flood Control Order and de-silting of drains that should have been issued and completed by June 15 were pending. "The Flood Control Order, normally issued after the Apex Committee meeting chaired by the Hon'ble chief minister, is pending with the Hon'ble minister," he had said. The government has issued the Flood Control Order, which says a Central Flood Control Room has been set up and it will continue to be functional till October 15 or till the withdrawal of monsoon, whichever comes later. The flood control room will receive flood warnings and other related information and submit flood-situation reports to the LG, chief minister, minister of irrigation and flood control (I&FC), chief secretary, ...

Water in India's 150 reservoirs dip to 20% of live storage capacity: CWC

Water available in the 150 main reservoirs across the country has dipped to just 20 per cent of their total live storage capacity, according to the Central Water Commission. For the past two weeks, the reservoirs were at 21 per cent of their total live storage capacity and the week before that it was 22 per cent. The Central Water Commission (CWC) has reported a significant drop in live storage levels across 150 major reservoirs in India. According to the latest CWC bulletin, the total live storage available is 36.368 billion cubic meters (BCM) which is just 20 per cent of the total live storage capacity of these reservoirs. This is a significant decrease from 46.369 billion cubic meters (BCM) recorded during the same period last year and also below the normal storage of 42.645 BCM. The total live storage capacity of these reservoirs is 178.784 BCM, which is about 69.35 per cent of the estimated total live storage capacity of 257.812 BCM in the country. The northern region, compr

Delhi Water Minister Atishi Marlena discharged from Lok Nayak Hospital

Atishi started her indefinite hunger strike, protesting for Haryana to release Delhi's water share on June 22

More than 50% marginal farmers reported losing crops due to extreme weather

The study suggested buffering of water in reservoirs, and the recharge of groundwater through check dams and watersheds for water in agriculture

Water stress can take a toll on India's sovereign credit strength: Moody's

The report comes at a time when several cities in India, including the national capital Delhi, have been facing an acute water shortage

Water crisis may weigh on India's sovereign credit strength: Moody's

It can 'exacerbate volatility' in the country's economic growth and spark social unrest, says agency

Atishi's health deteriorates due to hunger strike, admitted to hospital

Atishi's indefinite hunger strike entered its fifth day on Tuesday. She said that Haryana is not releasing Delhi's share of water

Growing & sustaining a liquid asset

Rainwater conservation needs planning on a geographically wider scale, keeping in view the entire watersheds, which can span administrative blocks, districts, or states

Amid scorching summer, water available in 150 main reservoirs dips to 21%

With scorching heat battering a large swathes of India over the past few weeks, water available in the 150 main reservoirs across the country further dipped to just 21 per cent of their total live storage capacity. The Central Water Commission (CWC) has released the live storage status of 150 key reservoirs across India in its latest bulletin. These reservoirs, crucial for hydroelectric projects and water supply, have a combined live storage capacity of 178.784 billion cubic meters (BCM), which is approximately 69.35 per cent of the total live storage capacity created in the country. As of Thursday, the live storage available in these reservoirs is 37.662 BCM, which is 21 per cent of their total capacity. Overall, the live storage available across the 150 reservoirs stands at 54.310 BCM against the estimated total capacity of 257.812 BCM. This marks a significant decrease from the same period last year, when the live storage was 46.883 BCM. The current storage is also lower than t

Atishi begins hunger strike, demands more water for Delhi from Haryana

Delhi Water Minister Atishi will begin her indefinite hunger strike in south Delhi's Bhogal at noon to press on her demand for getting 100 million gallons of water per day from Haryana. In a post on X, the minister said despite all efforts, the Haryana government was not releasing the full share of Delhi's water. Before starting the indefinite fast, Atishi will visit Rajghat at 11 am to pay tributes to Mahatma Gandhi who taught that the path of 'Satyagraha' has to be adopted to struggle against injustice, the minister said. "I will start 'Pani Satyagraha' from today... I will start an indefinite fast at Bhogal, Jangpura from 12 o'clock until the people of Delhi get their rightful share of water from Haryana," she said on X. The minister earlier claimed that Haryana for the last two weeks was releasing 100 million gallons per day less water to Delhi against its share of 613 MGD, as a result, 28 lakh people in Delhi were affected. Delhi is facing an unprecedented heatwave as a resul

Delhi getting excess water, shortage due to 'mismanagement': Haryana Min

Haryana minister Abhe Singh Yadav on Thursday said the water scarcity in Delhi was solely due to "internal mismanagement" by the AAP dispensation. Yadav dismissed as "baseless" and "beyond facts" the Delhi government's allegation that the BJP-ruled state is not providing the national capital with the required share of water, as he asserted that Haryana is currently supplying 1,050 cusecs of water to Delhi, exceeding the mandated allocation of 719 cusecs. Yadav, the Minister of State for Irrigation and Water Resources, while speaking in Delhi, said Haryana does not politicise water issues, viewing water as a fundamental necessity. The minister underscored that ensuring water supply to the national capital is a collective responsibility, one which Haryana fulfils without shortfall. Yadav, according to an official statement, said that in response to AAP government's petition filed before the Supreme Court recently, the Haryana government submitted data on its water supply to Delhi ...

Delhi Cong urges L-G to act against those responsible for water crisis

The Congress' interim Delhi chief Devender Yadav has written to Lt Governor VK Saxena, demanding action against those responsible for the "unprecedented water crisis" in the national capital amid the extreme heat battering the city. According to a statement on Monday, Yadav alleged that despite significant wastage, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and the Delhi Police have not taken any action against the guilty. Water theft from DJB pipes have become a regular feature in many parts of Delhi. Yadav, in his letter, appealed to Saxena to issue a stringent directive to officials and their political leaders involved in a "blame game" to collaborate in effectively managing the water shortage and register FIRs against those responsible for the rapid rise in the scarcity, the statement added. Delhi Water Minister Atishi on Monday visited the Wazirabad barrage and appealed to the Haryana government to release water in the Yamuna river. "If no water is received, how will the water treatment plants

Atishi urges Haryana government to urgently release water in Yamuna river

Delhi Water Minister Atishi on Monday visited the Wazirabad barrage and appealed to the Haryana government to release water in the Yamuna river. Atishi said the Wazirabad barrage gets water from Haryana which goes to the water treatment plants of Chandrawal, Okhla and Wazirabad. "If no water is received, how will the water treatment plants work? We appeal to Haryana that the people in Delhi are worried and they should release water in Yamuna river, she added.

Delhi water crisis: Supply to be affected in parts of Lutyens' Delhi

Water supply will be affected in parts of Lutyens' Delhi since the Tilak Marg and Bengali Market underground water reservoirs are receiving less water from the Delhi Jal Board, NDMC officials said on Monday. There is a 40 per cent shortage in supply being received from the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) in the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) area, they added. "As informed by DJB that production of potable water from Wazirabad water plant is not running at full capacity due to non-availability of raw water, hence water supply in command area of Tilak Marg underground water reservoir (UGR) and Bengali market UGR will be made available once in a day, preferably in morning time," the official said. Due to this, water supply will be affected in areas like Bengali Market, Ashoka Road, HC Mathur Lane, Copernicus Marg, Purana Quila Road, Babar Road, Barakhamba Road, K G Marg, Windsor Place, Firozshah Marg, Canning Lane and surrounding areas. The NDMC appealed to people to save water and use it .

Water crisis in Delhi sponsored by BJP, says AAP leader Sanjay Singh

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh on Monday alleged that the water crisis in Delhi has been "deliberately created" by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to keep the people of the national capital thirsty. Addressing a press conference here, Singh accused the saffron party of hatching a conspiracy against the residents of the national capital. There was no immediate reaction from the BJP on the allegations. "We believe 'pyase ko paani pilane se zyada punya ka kaam nahi hota' and there is no bigger sin than stopping water," said Singh. "For the last several days, there has been a water crisis in Delhi sponsored by the Bharatiya Janata Party and when I am saying that it is a water crisis sponsored by the Bharatiya Janata Party, I want to tell you that the BJP people want that the people of Delhi do not get water and for this, the BJP people are trying their best to put Delhi in a water crisis by whatever means, whatever conspiracies, whatever methods they can," he alleged. The AAP leader