Indian water sector: Critical analysis of the present crisis and the roadmap towards the solution

For last many decades the crisis of water resources has been in global debate but the deliberations hardly encompass the real extent of the crisis. Increasing population and expanding industrialization have been raising the demand of water in geometric proportion which has resulted in to water stressed and water scarce basins. In India, out of 20 major basins 14 are water stressed at present and the situation is worsening fast. Water stress is increasing day by day and inequitus in distribution of water amongst various user groups is also increasing which has started taking serious stance in the form of social unrest in many parts of India. However, the age old concepts of water related legislations and administrative setups based on fragmented controls have been prevailing till date in India. Water conflicts as a product of water stress have now gone to the extent of becoming a challenge against the solidarity of the nation which is of prime importance and also a prerequisite for a prosperous India especially when the global systems, before they could prove their worth, have started crumbling. Conflicts of any type have a tendency of attaining gravity very fast if remain unattended and therefore the time for redressing must be an important parameter for the judiciary and administration. But executive machinery being helpless in want of legislative and administrative edge has to witness the sparrow's fall especially in the water sector in India. On the other hand, economic forces have been forcing the commerce related legislations and administrative setups to undergo instant and frequent changes keeping the executive machinery on the toes to meet the needs of the market. Sensitive governance in one sector and callous and lackadaisical governance in a crucial field like water have made a large dent up on the social balance and equity within the nation as a result of which so much tensed a state today which needs immediate and serious attention of the policy makers and introduction of necessary corrections with due honor to the democratic values the Constitution of India has been upholding. The paper encompasses discussion on the present state of the Indian water sector, legislations in effect, genesis of the crisis and the roadmap to the solution with references to some specific historical events and underlines the need of immediate corrections. The objective of the paper is to properly address the present crisis of water along with the root causes so that appropriate and effective governance and management can take place in the water sector in India which contains the potential of becoming the fountainhead of the constructive kind of development which is termed as sustainable development in the modern language and the one the Indian sages have been advocating since thousands of years back.