Water Crisis in India

The water crisis in India continues. Officially, about 60% of the population have access to running water. However, practically all the water is heavily contaminated with heavy metals - courtesy of the effluents from unregulated industries and general waste. Arsenic is a common contaminant in many parts of the country and just a few weeks ago, there was news that water in some regions of Punjab is contaminated with uranium. If heavy metals, arsenic and radioactivity were not enough, over 65% of the population has no access to toilets and defecation in the open is common, even in the wooded areas of New Delhi. The bacteria laced water is a major contributor to easily avoidable killer outbreaks of gastro-enteritis, diarrhoea and dysentery. Although the Indian parliament, goaded by the media coverage of the situation, discussed the issue, in the rush to maintain the mythical 8% growth, it is unlikely that any action, substantive or merely decorative, will be taken. Meanwhile, the construction of mega shopping malls that consume huge supplies of water and electricity, continues. This summer, many malls of New Delhi ran out of water and required multiple water-tankers to keep the washrooms and the restaurants operational. Predictably, in some quarters, the late arrival of the monsoons, not the hyper-manic production and consumption cycles connected to global capitalism and obsession with the 8% growth target was blamed for the water shortage. The mirage of even more economic growth and consumption via foreign direct investments in the retail sector continue to be touted by influential New Delhi policy wonks as the solution for the current crisis!