Reshma G

Renjini S
Christopher Kurian
Sreenath N
Joji Isac P
V Rahini
Amol Khanwalkar
WATER CRISIS
 Water crisis is a term used to refer to the world’s water
resources relative to human demand. The term has been
applied to the worldwide water situation by the United
Nations and other world organizations.
There are several principal manifestations of the water crisis.
I.Inadequate access to safe drinking water for about 884 million
people
II.Inadequate access to water for sanitation and waste disposal
for 2.5 billion people
III.Groundwater over drafting (excessive use) leading to
diminished agricultural yields
IV.Overuse and pollution of water resources
harming biodiversity
V.Regional conflicts over scarce water resources sometimes
resulting in warfare
 1. Stifling
Economic Development
2. Water-borne Diseases
3. Geopolitical Instability
4. Extinction of fauna and flora
Global warming causes an intensification and
acceleration of the world’s hydrological cycle.

Quicker evaporation and precipitation

Population growth
Increased urbanization
High level of consumption
Climate change
As per Groundwater Survey & Development Agency
(GSDA) of Maharashtra state.
55% Rainwater is wasted as run off
35% Rainwater is wasted as evaporation
and Only 10% Rainwater is harvested 
RAINFALL AND WATER SCARCITY
• Sudan  - 12.3 million
• Venezuela  - 5.0 million
• Zimbabwe  - 2.7 million
• Tunisia  - 2.1 million
• Cuba  - 1.3 million
 Irrigation : 82 %

 Industrial : 12 %

 Drinking   : 6 %
POLLUTION
RIVERS
India's fourteen major, 55 minor and several hundred
small rivers receive millions of litres of sewage,
industrial and agricultural wastes. Most of these rivers
have been degraded to sewage flowing drains. There
are serious water quality problems in the towns and
villages using these rivers as a source of their water. 
GROUNDWATER POLLUTION

Water markets thriving on groundwater has become a

lucrative business for all those ranging from the private
suppliers selling water, water tankers and the big bottled
water companies. This over extraction has found rapid
depletion of water tables as well as deterioration of water
quality in most of the cities.
URBAN LAKES

Urban water bodies are an inherent part of Indian culture. They

served a variety of purposes. In the dry central and Southern
India--that fall in the rain shadow region--they stored rainwater
and ensured supply for domestic use and for agriculture. They
also helped in recharging groundwater.

In cities enjoying perennial river sources and high rainfall they
served as flood cushions, and as in the case of Kolkata, acted as a
resource recovery area, releasing nitrogen, inactivating
phosphates, removing toxins and treating wastewater.

.
And they were taken care of by the local people,
who desilted, cleaned and recharged the lakes and
tanks, as a part of their regular chores. But all this
changed after the government took over
management of public lands in cities
 90% of the world's glaciers are retreating and some
disappear completely
Glacier ice is melting much faster today than was
expected
Temperatures across the globe have gone upward,
helping the cause of ice glaciers melting faster than
required
Common issues of Surface and Ground water
• Pathogenic (Bacteriological) Pollution
• Salinity
• Toxicity (micro-pollutants and other industrial pollutants)

Ground Water
Surface Water
• Fluoride
• Eutrophication
• Nitrate
• Oxygen depletion
• Arsenic
• Ecological health
• Iron
• Sea water intrusion24
Domestic: 423 class I cities and 499 class II towns harboring
population of 20 Crore generate about 26254 mld of
wastewater of which only 6955 mld is treated.

Industrial: About 57,000 polluting industries in India

generate about 13,468 mld of wastewater out of which nearly
60% (generated from large & medium industries) is treated.

Non-point sources also contribute significant pollution loads

mainly in rainy season. Pesticides consumption is about
1,00,000 tones/year of which AP, Haryana, Punjab, TN, WB,
Gujarat, UP and Maharashtra are principal consumers.

Domestic sewage is the major source of pollution in India in

surface water which contribute pathogens, the main source
of water borne diseases along with depletion of oxygen in
water bodies.
The tragedy of India’s water scarcity is that the
crisis could have been largely avoided with
better water management practices.

There has been a distinct lack of attention to

water legislation, water conservation, efficiency
in water use, water recycling, and
infrastructure.
 Important step for solutions to issues of water and
environmental conservation is to change people's
attitudes and habits
 Conserve water because it is right thing to do!.
What you can do to conserve water?
 Use only as much water as you require. Close the
taps well after use. While brushing or other use, do
not leave the tap running, open it only when you
require it. See that there are no leaking taps.
 Use a washing machine that does not consume
too much water. Do not leave the taps running
while washing dishes and clothes.
 Install small shower heads to reduce the flow of
the water. Water in which the vegetables & fruits
have been washed - use to water the flowers &
plants.
  At the end of the day if you have water left in your
water bottle do not throw it away, pour it over
some plants.
Re-use water as much as possible
Change in attitude & habits for
water conservation
Every drop counts!!!
Many governments and large financial
institutions such as the International Monetary
Fund (IMF) and the World Bank are actively
promoting water privatisation as the answer to
the water crisis
change water management practices by regulating
usage with effective legislation. There is
significant opposition to raising electricity tariffs,
and there would most likely be even more
resistance to enacting tariffs on water itself.
Another proposed solution to the water crisis is
the privatization of water.
As India is the world’s largest democracy,
large-scale engineering projects have been
extremely difficult to pass because they are
controversial and have stirred lots of debate
and much resistance. The most talked about
project is the $112 billion Interlinking of Rivers
project