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Addressing the Issue of Access to Clean Water in India

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Introduction

India has over 1.3 billion people, and its mixed economy has grown in recent years in this

growing nation. Despite its advances, India still faces many developmental issues, including

clean water access (Mishra et al., 2021). Clean water is crucial to human health, economic

prosperity, and social well-being. Clean water prevents waterborne infections, promotes

cleanliness, and allows agriculture. Clean water helps a country in achieving gender equality.

Women and girls fetch water, which prohibits them from going to school or working. This paper

will examine clean water access in India and provide policy solutions. The paper will discuss

India's pristine water condition, its effects, and policy solutions.

Problem Statement

Despite recent advancements, many Indians still lack clean water. WaterAid, an

international charity organisation, estimates that 163 million Indians lack clean water at home

(Khanna, 2020). Only 35% of India's population has essential sanitary services. These numbers

show that India still needs to improve its clean water access. Clean water access affects India's

health, economy, and society. Communities that lack clean water are at risk of contracting

waterborne diseases, including cholera, that may lead to high morbidity and mortality rates,

mostly among children. The time spent accessing water from far sources reduces society and

individual productivity and economic potential.

Proposed Solution

Increase investment in water infrastructure.

India needs more water infrastructure investment to solve its clean water problem,

including Dams, reservoirs, and water treatment plants. Dams and reservoirs store water during
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droughts (Vinagre et al., 2023). The government might develop small-scale water treatment

plants to provide clean water in rural areas. The government must examine agriculture, industry,

and residential water needs. The water needs assessment helps the government identify urgent

infrastructure development regions. Water infrastructure building and upgrading require a

government investment plan. This approach may incorporate public-private partnerships, foreign

investment, and government funding. The government must implement the investment strategy

and oversee infrastructure development to complete projects on schedule and under budget.

Promote rainwater harvesting

Rainwater harvesting is an eco-friendly and cost-effective approach to storing water

(Vinagre et al., 2023). The government must conduct a feasibility assessment to locate rainwater

gathering sites. The study should evaluate rainfall, land availability, and local water needs. The

government should promote rainwater collecting through awareness initiatives. These efforts can

train farmers and households to build and maintain rainwater collection facilities. The

government can subsidise rainwater harvesting. Tax reductions, low-interest loans, and rainwater

harvesting facility subsidies can be offered. Rainwater harvesting programs should be monitored

and evaluated by the government. This will highlight areas for improvement and ensure resource

efficiency.

Improve water governance

Water resource management institutions and user associations must be strengthened to

ensure sustainable water usage and management. This will improve water allocation, eliminate

conflicts, and boost community water management (Vinagre et al., 2023). The government must

improve national, state, and municipal water resource management. Institutional capacity,
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coordination, transparency and accountability in decision-making are examples. The government

can create water user associations to encourage community water management. These

associations can manage water infrastructure, allocation, and conflicts.

Increase awareness

To promote sustainable water usage and management, knowledge of the value of clean

water and conservation and protection measures must be raised (Vinagre et al., 2023). The

government must support pure water education and water conservation and protection efforts.

School programs, neighbourhood gatherings, and PSAs are examples of these initiatives. Using

water-efficient technologies, decreasing water waste, and promoting water reuse can be rewarded

by the government.

Conclusion

Millions of Indians face a lack of clean water access. The Indian government can

incorporate the following recommendations to assist the citizens. The proposals include;

promoting rainwater harvesting, water governance, investing in water infrastructures, and raising

awareness. The proposed measures will positively impact India's economy, social and health

developments. Clean water enhances good human health. India should address the water scarcity

issue and guarantee the citizen sustainable, pure water availability through the proposed

measures.
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References

Khanna, A. (2020). An overview of technology-driven solutions to the water crisis in developing

nations. International Journal of Social Science and Economic Research, 05(05), 1295–

1302. https://doi.org/10.46609/ijsser.2020.v05i05.013

Mishra, V., Thirumalai, K., Jain, S., & Aadhar, S. (2021). Unprecedented drought in South India

and recent water scarcity. Environmental Research Letters, 16(5),

054007. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abf289

Vinagre, V., Fidélis, T., & Luís, A. (2023). How can we adapt together? Bridging water

management and city planning approaches to climate change. Water, 15(4),

715. https://doi.org/10.3390/w15040715