Water Stress and Water Crisis in Large Cities of India

Large cities of India are facing water shortages, and many cities such as Mumbai, Jaipur, Bhatinda, Lucknow, Nagpur, and Chennai are facing acute water shortages. According to a report of Niti Aayog, Government of India, published in 2018, 21 major cities, including Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad, are expected to deplete their groundwater by 2020, which would directly affect 100 million people. The Composite Water Index Scores published by the Niti Ayog show that only Gujrat, Madhya Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh have efficient water resource management. A report published by the WaterAid in 2018 also stated that in near future the demand for water will be on the rise due to rapid growth of Indian cities. As the number of people living in urban areas has increased since 2001, many Indian cities will face a water crisis. Cities like Mumbai, Jaipur, Nagpur, Bhatinda, and Lucknow have already started water rationing during the summer months. In November 2018, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) declared 10% water supply cut for Mumbai residents. Furthermore, there was a 15% cut in supply time. Similarly, Jaipur also imposed a cut on the daily water supply of the city prior to the onset of monsoon in 2018. Instead of daily cut in water supply, Chennai provides water to its residents every other alternative day. Bhatinda and Lucknow lack any sustainable plan of water conservation and unable to find alternative sources of water. Based on the available literature, this paper examines the problem of water crisis in Indian cities and identifies the key drivers of water shortages. Additionally, the paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of urban water crisis in India as well as highlights possible solutions.