New Delhi, Feb 10 (PTI) A parliamentary panel on Monday recommended setting up a national task force to bridge the gap between water demand and supply in India.
The Standing Committee on Water Resources, chaired by BJP MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy, said in a report tabled in the Lok Sabha that rising population, rapid industrialisation, urbanisation, and climate change have made water availability a critical issue for survival and sustainable development.
“The demand for water is projected to increase significantly, rendering it a critical factor in the nation’s economic progress. While taking cognisance of all the efforts made to increase water availability, the committee urges the department to take all appropriate measures to expedite the process for constitution of the National Task Force on Integrated Water Resources Development and Management,” the panel said.
The committee also asked the Jal Shakti Ministry to ensure the timely implementation of all schemes and programmes to effectively meet future water demand.
According to the ministry, India’s total water availability from precipitation is about 3,880 billion cubic metres (BCM). However, due to geological and other factors, the usable water is limited to 1,139 BCM per year. Of this, about 691 BCM is currently being utilised.
The country’s total water requirement for different uses under high-demand scenarios has been estimated at 843 BCM for 2025 and 1,180 BCM for 2050.
The ministry informed the panel that India may be able to meet future water demand with “technological upgradation in the area of water use efficiency in all major sectors and with the progressive stabilisation of the national population scenario by that time”.
Water availability can be further improved by increasing storage capacity through dam construction, artificial groundwater recharge, inter-basin water transfers, rainwater harvesting, water recycling and reuse, check dams, and the revival of traditional water bodies, the ministry said. PTI GVS RHL
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