• Latest
  • Trending

Water crisis in Chennai is only part of a grave all-India problem

July 8, 2019
Lanka asks UNHRC to delete reference to the burial issue even as fresh protests erupt

Lanka asks UNHRC to delete reference to the burial issue even as fresh protests erupt

March 5, 2021
Pakistan Air Chief in Sri Lanka for Lankan Air Force’s 70 th.Anniversary

Pakistan Air Chief in Sri Lanka for Lankan Air Force’s 70 th.Anniversary

March 5, 2021
Image credits - Gamer.lk

E-Sports a key strategic pillar of national sports council sports strategy in Sri Lanka

March 5, 2021
Image credits - Claudio Schwarz / Unsplash

Twitter may let users charge their followers for special access

March 5, 2021
Image credits - [Shahzeb Akber/EPA]

Pakistan Super League suspended due to COVID cases

March 5, 2021
Image credits - Glenn Carstens-Peters / Unsplash

‘They show porn’: India’s top court favours controls on web shows

March 5, 2021
Image credits - Hakan Nural / Unsplash

Bharat Biotech’s COVID-19 shot 81% effective, Indian firm’s interim data shows

March 5, 2021
Image credits - Hakan Nural / Unsplash

COVID-19 vaccine confidence grows as side effect worries fade

March 5, 2021
Colombo. Image credits - newsin.asia

Colombo city faces poor oxygen percentage threat

March 5, 2021
Aerobatics by Indian and Lankan Air Forces thrill spectators in Colombo

Aerobatics by Indian and Lankan Air Forces thrill spectators in Colombo

March 4, 2021
Strong 7.2 magnitude earthquake shakes New Zealand, tsunami warning issued

Strong 7.2 magnitude earthquake shakes New Zealand, tsunami warning issued

March 4, 2021
Image credits - shoroq / Unsplash

Saudi prince pushes on with $500 billion megacity as U.S. points the finger over Khashoggi killing

March 4, 2021
  • About Us
  • Advertisements
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
Friday, March 5, 2021
  • Login
  • Register
No Result
View All Result
NewsIn.Asia
  • Home
  • Around South Asia
    • All
    • Afghanistan
    • Bangladesh
    • Bhutan
    • China
    • India
    • Maldives
    • Myanmar
    • Nepal
    • Pakistan
    • Sri Lanka
    Lanka asks UNHRC to delete reference to the burial issue even as fresh protests erupt

    Lanka asks UNHRC to delete reference to the burial issue even as fresh protests erupt

    Pakistan Air Chief in Sri Lanka for Lankan Air Force’s 70 th.Anniversary

    Pakistan Air Chief in Sri Lanka for Lankan Air Force’s 70 th.Anniversary

    Image credits - Gamer.lk

    E-Sports a key strategic pillar of national sports council sports strategy in Sri Lanka

    Image credits - [Shahzeb Akber/EPA]

    Pakistan Super League suspended due to COVID cases

    Image credits - Glenn Carstens-Peters / Unsplash

    ‘They show porn’: India’s top court favours controls on web shows

    Image credits - Hakan Nural / Unsplash

    Bharat Biotech’s COVID-19 shot 81% effective, Indian firm’s interim data shows

    Colombo. Image credits - newsin.asia

    Colombo city faces poor oxygen percentage threat

    Aerobatics by Indian and Lankan Air Forces thrill spectators in Colombo

    Aerobatics by Indian and Lankan Air Forces thrill spectators in Colombo

    Bangladesh is India’s partner in South Asia and the Indo-Pacific Region: Jaishankar

    Bangladesh is India’s partner in South Asia and the Indo-Pacific Region: Jaishankar

  • World
    • All
    • Japan
    • Russia
    • United States
    Image credits - Claudio Schwarz / Unsplash

    Twitter may let users charge their followers for special access

    Image credits - Hakan Nural / Unsplash

    COVID-19 vaccine confidence grows as side effect worries fade

    Strong 7.2 magnitude earthquake shakes New Zealand, tsunami warning issued

    Strong 7.2 magnitude earthquake shakes New Zealand, tsunami warning issued

    Image credits - shoroq / Unsplash

    Saudi prince pushes on with $500 billion megacity as U.S. points the finger over Khashoggi killing

    © Provided by Quartz FILE PHOTO: Google CEO Pichai speaks at El Centro College in Dallas

    Alphabet’s Sundar Pichai is the most overpaid CEO in the US

    Image credits - Daniel Schludi / Unsplash

    World Bank readies COVID-19 vaccine funds for around 30 African countries

    Image credits - Meg Jerrard / Unsplash

    Australia building world’s first platypus sanctuary

    Image credits - Sangga Rima Roman Selia / Unsplash

    Global CO2 emissions bounce back to pre-COVID levels, study finds

    Image credits - Tasnim News Agency; Mohammad Hassanzadeh

    Iran’s only female Olympic medallist to compete under white flag in Tokyo

  • Business
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
    • All
    • Gaming
    • Movie
    • Music
    • Series
    Image credits - Gamer.lk

    E-Sports a key strategic pillar of national sports council sports strategy in Sri Lanka

    Image credits - Glenn Carstens-Peters / Unsplash

    ‘They show porn’: India’s top court favours controls on web shows

    Image credits - Joe Shlabotnik / Flickr

    Key winners at the 2021 Golden Globes

    Image credits - Gage Skidmore

    Chadwick Boseman Wins Best Actor at 2021 Golden Globes for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

    The film, a tale of an adolescent boy fighting human-eating demons, has amassed $313 million since opening on Oct. 16. © Koyoharu Gotoge/Shueisha, Aniplex, ufotable

    Japan anime movie ‘Demon Slayer’ lands in US cinemas

    Bengali Adhunik song Bela Hole Absan

    Bengali Adhunik song Bela Hole Absan

    Image credits - Steven Cordes / Unsplash

    Gotta catch ’em all: Pandemic sends prices soaring for Pokemon cards

    Image credits - Fixelgraphy / Unsplash

    Spotify to expand into more than 80 new markets including Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Maldives

    Image credits - AdamBMorgan / big-ashb

    Grammy-winning duo Daft Punk announces split after 28 years

  • Lifestyle
    • All
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Health
    • Science
    • Travel
    Image credits - Hakan Nural / Unsplash

    COVID-19 vaccine confidence grows as side effect worries fade

    Iranaitivu residents protest against COVID-19 burials

    Iranaitivu residents protest against COVID-19 burials

    Image credits - Neven Krcmarek / Unsplash

    Maezawa wants you: Japan billionaire seeks ‘crew’ for moon trip

    Image credits - Mark Paton / Unsplash

    One in four people will have hearing problems by 2050: WHO

    Disciplined societies may have tackled COVID better, but there is a downside in all

    China, U.S. should lift COVID-19 travel bans if herd immunity reached, Chinese epidemiologist says

    Image credits - Slash Gear

    Nestle expands plant-based products with new vegan KitKat bar

    India-made COVID-19 vaccine in Ghana

    India-made COVID-19 vaccine in Ghana

    Image credits - Stefan Spassov / Unsplash

    Japan appoints ‘minister of loneliness’ to help people home alone

    Image credits - freestocks / Unsplash

    Singapore trials Smartphone app offering mini check-ups

    First human case of H5N8 bird flu reported in Russia. Image credits - CDC

    First human case of H5N8 bird flu reported in Russia

    Trending Tags

    • Golden Globes
    • Mr. Robot
    • MotoGP 2017
    • Climate Change
    • Flat Earth
  • Tech
    Image credits - Claudio Schwarz / Unsplash

    Twitter may let users charge their followers for special access

    Image credits - Benjamin Raffetseder / Unsplash

    China’s Xiaomi adds manufacturing muscle in India to boost phone production

    Image credits - freestocks / Unsplash

    Singapore trials Smartphone app offering mini check-ups

    Image credits - Fixelgraphy / Unsplash

    Spotify to expand into more than 80 new markets including Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Maldives

    Image credits - Nicole de Andrade

    Tech Tips: Signal lets users create groups with up to 1000 members, here is how to create one

    Whatsapp / Pic - India Today

    WhatsApp to switch off messages for all who reject new terms

    Trending Tags

    • Sillicon Valley
    • Climate Change
    • Election Results
    • Flat Earth
    • Golden Globes
    • MotoGP 2017
    • Mr. Robot
  • Coronavirus
  • Home
  • Around South Asia
    • All
    • Afghanistan
    • Bangladesh
    • Bhutan
    • China
    • India
    • Maldives
    • Myanmar
    • Nepal
    • Pakistan
    • Sri Lanka
    Lanka asks UNHRC to delete reference to the burial issue even as fresh protests erupt

    Lanka asks UNHRC to delete reference to the burial issue even as fresh protests erupt

    Pakistan Air Chief in Sri Lanka for Lankan Air Force’s 70 th.Anniversary

    Pakistan Air Chief in Sri Lanka for Lankan Air Force’s 70 th.Anniversary

    Image credits - Gamer.lk

    E-Sports a key strategic pillar of national sports council sports strategy in Sri Lanka

    Image credits - [Shahzeb Akber/EPA]

    Pakistan Super League suspended due to COVID cases

    Image credits - Glenn Carstens-Peters / Unsplash

    ‘They show porn’: India’s top court favours controls on web shows

    Image credits - Hakan Nural / Unsplash

    Bharat Biotech’s COVID-19 shot 81% effective, Indian firm’s interim data shows

    Colombo. Image credits - newsin.asia

    Colombo city faces poor oxygen percentage threat

    Aerobatics by Indian and Lankan Air Forces thrill spectators in Colombo

    Aerobatics by Indian and Lankan Air Forces thrill spectators in Colombo

    Bangladesh is India’s partner in South Asia and the Indo-Pacific Region: Jaishankar

    Bangladesh is India’s partner in South Asia and the Indo-Pacific Region: Jaishankar

  • World
    • All
    • Japan
    • Russia
    • United States
    Image credits - Claudio Schwarz / Unsplash

    Twitter may let users charge their followers for special access

    Image credits - Hakan Nural / Unsplash

    COVID-19 vaccine confidence grows as side effect worries fade

    Strong 7.2 magnitude earthquake shakes New Zealand, tsunami warning issued

    Strong 7.2 magnitude earthquake shakes New Zealand, tsunami warning issued

    Image credits - shoroq / Unsplash

    Saudi prince pushes on with $500 billion megacity as U.S. points the finger over Khashoggi killing

    © Provided by Quartz FILE PHOTO: Google CEO Pichai speaks at El Centro College in Dallas

    Alphabet’s Sundar Pichai is the most overpaid CEO in the US

    Image credits - Daniel Schludi / Unsplash

    World Bank readies COVID-19 vaccine funds for around 30 African countries

    Image credits - Meg Jerrard / Unsplash

    Australia building world’s first platypus sanctuary

    Image credits - Sangga Rima Roman Selia / Unsplash

    Global CO2 emissions bounce back to pre-COVID levels, study finds

    Image credits - Tasnim News Agency; Mohammad Hassanzadeh

    Iran’s only female Olympic medallist to compete under white flag in Tokyo

  • Business
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
    • All
    • Gaming
    • Movie
    • Music
    • Series
    Image credits - Gamer.lk

    E-Sports a key strategic pillar of national sports council sports strategy in Sri Lanka

    Image credits - Glenn Carstens-Peters / Unsplash

    ‘They show porn’: India’s top court favours controls on web shows

    Image credits - Joe Shlabotnik / Flickr

    Key winners at the 2021 Golden Globes

    Image credits - Gage Skidmore

    Chadwick Boseman Wins Best Actor at 2021 Golden Globes for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

    The film, a tale of an adolescent boy fighting human-eating demons, has amassed $313 million since opening on Oct. 16. © Koyoharu Gotoge/Shueisha, Aniplex, ufotable

    Japan anime movie ‘Demon Slayer’ lands in US cinemas

    Bengali Adhunik song Bela Hole Absan

    Bengali Adhunik song Bela Hole Absan

    Image credits - Steven Cordes / Unsplash

    Gotta catch ’em all: Pandemic sends prices soaring for Pokemon cards

    Image credits - Fixelgraphy / Unsplash

    Spotify to expand into more than 80 new markets including Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Maldives

    Image credits - AdamBMorgan / big-ashb

    Grammy-winning duo Daft Punk announces split after 28 years

  • Lifestyle
    • All
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Health
    • Science
    • Travel
    Image credits - Hakan Nural / Unsplash

    COVID-19 vaccine confidence grows as side effect worries fade

    Iranaitivu residents protest against COVID-19 burials

    Iranaitivu residents protest against COVID-19 burials

    Image credits - Neven Krcmarek / Unsplash

    Maezawa wants you: Japan billionaire seeks ‘crew’ for moon trip

    Image credits - Mark Paton / Unsplash

    One in four people will have hearing problems by 2050: WHO

    Disciplined societies may have tackled COVID better, but there is a downside in all

    China, U.S. should lift COVID-19 travel bans if herd immunity reached, Chinese epidemiologist says

    Image credits - Slash Gear

    Nestle expands plant-based products with new vegan KitKat bar

    India-made COVID-19 vaccine in Ghana

    India-made COVID-19 vaccine in Ghana

    Image credits - Stefan Spassov / Unsplash

    Japan appoints ‘minister of loneliness’ to help people home alone

    Image credits - freestocks / Unsplash

    Singapore trials Smartphone app offering mini check-ups

    First human case of H5N8 bird flu reported in Russia. Image credits - CDC

    First human case of H5N8 bird flu reported in Russia

    Trending Tags

    • Golden Globes
    • Mr. Robot
    • MotoGP 2017
    • Climate Change
    • Flat Earth
  • Tech
    Image credits - Claudio Schwarz / Unsplash

    Twitter may let users charge their followers for special access

    Image credits - Benjamin Raffetseder / Unsplash

    China’s Xiaomi adds manufacturing muscle in India to boost phone production

    Image credits - freestocks / Unsplash

    Singapore trials Smartphone app offering mini check-ups

    Image credits - Fixelgraphy / Unsplash

    Spotify to expand into more than 80 new markets including Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Maldives

    Image credits - Nicole de Andrade

    Tech Tips: Signal lets users create groups with up to 1000 members, here is how to create one

    Whatsapp / Pic - India Today

    WhatsApp to switch off messages for all who reject new terms

    Trending Tags

    • Sillicon Valley
    • Climate Change
    • Election Results
    • Flat Earth
    • Golden Globes
    • MotoGP 2017
    • Mr. Robot
  • Coronavirus
No Result
View All Result
NewsIn.Asia
No Result
View All Result
Home Around South Asia India

Water crisis in Chennai is only part of a grave all-India problem

Editor by Editor
July 8, 2019
in India, Top Story
Reading Time: 4min read
3 0
35
SHARES
Share on WhatsApp

By P.K.Balachandran/Ceylon Today

The international media’s attention is now on the severe water shortage in Chennai, India’s fifth largest city of over five million people. The rains played truant, the city’s water sources dried up, and groundwater was exhausted. Everyone including Tamil Nadu government ministers are looking up to the skies for relief. But there is none in sight.

However, this situation is not peculiar to Chennai. Drought is an all-India affliction. Twenty one Indian cities, including Bengaluru, New Delhi and Hyderabad, will run out of groundwater by 2020, affecting 100 million people, said the central government organization Niti Aayog in June 2018.

It is predicted that by 2050, the per capita availability of water at the national level will drop by 40 to 50% due to rapid population growth and commercial use.

According to IndiaSpend, 42% of India’s land area is facing drought this year, with 6% being “exceptionally dry”, four times the spatial extent of the drought in 2018.

Drought is widespread in the countryside. 600 million Indians or half the Indian population of 1.2 billion, face high to extreme water stress. In India, as a whole, about 75% of households do not have drinking water in their houses. By 2030, 40% of the population will have no access to drinking water.

Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, parts of North-East India, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Telangana are the worst hit areas. These states are home to 500 million people, almost 40% of India’s population.

The North-East monsoon (October-December), which provides 10 to 20% of India’s rainfall, was deficient by 44% in 2018.The South-West monsoon (June-September) which provides 80% of rainfall, fell short by 9.4% in 2018–close to the 10% deficit range when government declares a “drought”. The southern peninsular region recorded the lowest rainfall, a deficit greater than 60%.

“Between January 2019 and February 15, 2019, there was no rain in 23% of the total 660 districts surveyed, which extended to 46% below normal in March. While this is not unusual in itself, combined with last year’s deficit, it has made the situation dire,” IndiaSpend quotes an expert as saying.

Lower rainfall has reduced water levels in reservoirs in many parts of India. The amount of water available in the country’s 91 major reservoirs has gone down 32 percentage points over five months to March 22, 2019. In 31 reservoirs of southern states, water level has gone down by 36 percentage points over five months.

In 31 reservoirs in the southern states, water availability stands at 25% of total capacity, which has gone down by 36 percentage points over five months, from 61% of the capacity in November 2018.

Body Blow for Agriculture

With 50% of India’s population dependent on agriculture and more than 50% of the cultivable area being rain-fed (without irrigation) the farm economy has taken the hardest blow.

Government programs, such as farm insurance and irrigation infrastructure are floundering, with the result, the farmer has no protection. Less than 5% of agricultural households cultivating paddy and wheat have insured their crops.

Failure in agriculture leads to joblessness. Even in a normal year, landless agricultural workers get only 150 to 160 days of work. The current drought has reduced this number further.

Irrigation Lags Behind 

Of the 16 national water projects brought under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP), only five were underway in 2018, according a report of the Comptroller and Auditor General. Work on the remaining 11 was yet to begin. Of the 201 larger irrigation projects, 70% were not completed and 55.5% of irrigation target was not achieved, another report released in January 2019 said.

Inter-State water disputes further reduce the availability of water for farming. Karnataka for instance does not release enough water from the Cauvery river for Tamil, even defying orders of Tribunals.

Only 7.73 million hectares (mha) of India’s estimated 69.5 mha with drip and sprinkler irrigation potential, have actually got it.

Depleting Groundwater

In India, nearly 65% of irrigation supply and 85% of drinking water supply is from groundwater. But this source is getting rapidly depleted. In Bengaluru, bore-wells do not find water even at depths of 800 ft.

In a paper in Atlantic Council , Suresh P.Prabhu, says that industrial and domestic water demand will double in absolute quantities by 2025, as compared to 2005. The two sectors will then stake a claim of 11 percent and 8 percent respectively, on the total water demand.

Hydroelectricity now accounts for 19.3% of India’s total installed 201,637-megawatt grid capacity. Other power sources, such as coal, gas and nuclear, which account for two-thirds of India’s installed capacity, also require water for cooling purposes, Prabhu points out.

It is estimated that by 2050, more than half of India, or an estimated 800 million people, will be living in urban areas. Together with the semi-urban population, this could mean nearly a billion people relying on urban water utilities, he says

Poor management of available water makes the situation worse than it should be. In Delhi, for instance, 50% of the water is lost in transmission. Supply of free water and free electricity to pump water in several states has led to overuse and wasteful use of water.

Water Pollution

Up to 70% of India’s water supply is “contaminated,” a Niti Aayog report says. And generally, deeper bore-wells have higher chances of arsenic and fluoride contamination, IndiaSpend points out.

Almost two-thirds of the diseases in India are caused by the type of water that people drink; one-third of fatalities are attributable to waterborne diseases.

There are very few cities in India where tap water is potable. In rural areas, common water bodies are polluted due to industrial effluents or runoff from fertilizers, pesticides, and insecticides, Prabhu points out.

END

SendShare33Tweet1ShareShare
Editor

Editor

Recommended Articles

  • All
  • Recommend
Lanka asks UNHRC to delete reference to the burial issue even as fresh protests erupt

Lanka asks UNHRC to delete reference to the burial issue even as fresh protests erupt

March 5, 2021
India to cover 100 million in the second phase of COVID-19 vaccination

India to cover 100 million in the second phase of COVID-19 vaccination

March 3, 2021
Iranaitivu residents protest against COVID-19 burials

Iranaitivu residents protest against COVID-19 burials

March 3, 2021
A conversation with Bertrand Russell (1952)

A conversation with Bertrand Russell (1952)

March 2, 2021
Lanka, India, Maldives set up Maritime Security Secretariat

Lanka, India, Maldives set up Maritime Security Secretariat

March 2, 2021
Imran Khan adds new dimensions to ties with Sri Lanka

Imran Khan adds new dimensions to ties with Sri Lanka

March 1, 2021

Advertorial

  • All
  • Advertorial
Visual and Textual Analysis for Images with Reverse Search Tools

Visual and Textual Analysis for Images with Reverse Search Tools

January 3, 2021

Popular Now

  • UNHRC debate: A majority of countries spoke in favour of Sri Lanka

    UNHRC debate: A majority of countries spoke in favour of Sri Lanka

    72 shares
    Share 54 Tweet 8
  • Background to Lanka’s decision to lift ban on burying COVID dead

    33 shares
    Share 21 Tweet 5
  • India tells UNHRC devolution of power is critical for reconciliation in Sri Lanka

    48 shares
    Share 38 Tweet 4
  • Lanka takes three crucial decisions to garner Indian and Muslim support in UNHRC

    34 shares
    Share 25 Tweet 4
  • Tokyo asks China to stop anal swab tests for COVID-19 on Japanese citizens

    22 shares
    Share 14 Tweet 4
  • About Us
  • Advertisements
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact

© 2020 NewsIn.Asia - Lovingly maintained by DigitalArc.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Around South Asia
    • Afghanistan
    • Bangladesh
    • Bhutan
    • China
    • India
    • Maldives
    • Myanmar
    • Nepal
    • Pakistan
    • Sri Lanka
  • Around The World
  • Breaking News
  • Business
    • Exchange
  • Climate Change
  • Governance
    • Crime
    • Diplomacy
    • Defense
    • Human Rights
    • Politics
    • Strategic Affairs
  • Lifestyle
    • Books
    • Entertainment
      • Arts
      • Cinema
      • Gaming
      • Music
      • Movie
      • Series
      • TV
    • Health
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Travel
  • Culture
    • Ethnicity
    • Gender
  • Development news
  • Economy
  • Education
  • Environment
  • Coronavirus
  • History
  • National
  • Offbeat
    • Media
    • Music and arts across South Asia
  • Recommended
    • Headlines
    • Highlights
    • Top Picture
    • Top Story
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Cricket
      • LPL
      • IPL
    • Tennis
    • Formula 1
    • NBA
  • Tech
    • Instagram
  • United Nations
  • Weather
  • World
    • Japan
    • Russia
    • United States

© 2020 NewsIn.Asia - Lovingly maintained by DigitalArc.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In