India's Water Conundrum - Tackling Scarcity Amidst Rapid Urbanization and Industrial Growth

Major Initiatives by Jal Shakti Ministry and Adani Enterprises’ Ambitious Water Projects Hold Promise

NEW DELHI (India CSR): India’s current water crisis underscores the urgent need for efficient water management. As India’s economy witnesses unprecedented urbanization and industrial growth, the pivotal role of water in every aspect of sustainable development is becoming increasingly prominent. With rising concerns over future water availability, the matter is gaining high attention from the government, policy-makers, and markets.

The combination of governmental initiatives and private sector participation, as exemplified by the Jal Shakti Ministry and Adani Enterprises, offers a promising pathway towards securing India’s water future.

India’s Water Stress: A Growing Challenge

A report by NITI Ayog underscores that a staggering 48% of India’s population is under high water stress. The burgeoning population combined with limited freshwater resources – just 4% of the world’s total – puts the country amongst the most water-stressed globally. The per capita water availability, already at a low of 1,486 cubic meters in 2021, is projected to decrease further to 1,367 cubic meters by 2031.

Industrialization and waste generation due to rapid economic growth could exacerbate the water scarcity issue. The impending crisis could leave 40% of the population without access to drinking water by 2030, impacting all sectors and escalating waste generation.

The journey to a water-secure India is long and challenging, but with such commitment and investment, there is hope for a future where every Indian has access to safe and secure water.

Government’s Budget Allocations and Their Impact

The government, on its part, has made significant budgetary allocations to address the water scarcity. One of the key government initiatives, Jal Jeevan Mission (rural), aims to provide functional household tap connections to every rural household in India by 2024, with a service level of 55 litres of water per capita per day. The scheme is backed by robust funding from the government.

Another critical program, the National Perspective Plan (NPP), is designed to resolve the potential water shortfall predicted in several Indian river basins by 2030. To this end, the government has proposed transferring water from surplus basins to those with a deficit.

For the Har Ghar Nal Se Jal scheme, the government has provided tap water connections to 8.7 crore households, with an additional 5.5 crore households expected to receive access in the next two years. The budgetary allocation for this program in 2023-24 is a staggering Rs. 70,000 crore.

The Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY) is another key initiative, aiming to enhance rural prosperity by providing all agricultural farms with water access, thereby boosting production and productivity.

Government Initiatives: Aiming for Water Security

Acknowledging these challenges, the Jal Shakti Ministry has initiated programs like the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), National River Conservation, Pradhanmantri Krishi Sinchae Yojana (PMKSY), and Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM). These initiatives aim for comprehensive water resource management – from river pollution abatement and irrigation efficiency improvement to providing piped water connections to rural households.

Notably, the Jal Jeevan Mission intends to provide a piped water connection to 14.6 Crore rural households by 2024. Also, the ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyaan’ focuses on rainwater harvesting and water conservation. The ambitious ‘National River Linking‘ project seeks to connect 37 rivers across the nation to ensure adequate water throughout the year in all regions.

Adani Enterprises’ Significant Contributions

Adani Enterprises is implementing notable water infrastructure projects to address India’s water scarcity. Adani Water Limited, a subsidiary of Adani Enterprises, is already deeply involved in wastewater treatment, recycling and reuse projects. It is also planning an entry into desalination, in a bid to increase India’s freshwater availability. The company is currently overseeing two Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) projects with a total capacity of 371 MLD in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, and one EPC project covering 95,000 hectares in Madhya Pradesh.

The company is operating a wastewater treatment project at Prayagraj (Prayagraj Water Pvt. Ltd.) in Uttar Pradesh and Bhagalpur (Bhagalpur Waste Water Ltd.) in Bihar under the ‘Namami Gange, One city One Operator’ framework, along with the Shakkar Pench Lift Irrigation Project in Madhya Pradesh.

Widening the Scope: Adani’s Future Endeavors

In their 2022-23 annual report, the Adani Group confirmed they are expanding their horizons to tackle the nation’s water scarcity issues more comprehensively. Their upcoming initiatives will target a variety of sectors, ranging from wastewater treatment to irrigation infrastructure development, river interlinking projects, large water supply & water distribution projects, and desalination projects.

Key Fact	Detail
Water Stress in India	48% of India’s population is under high water stress.
Freshwater Availability	India has only 4% of the world’s freshwater resources, and per capita water availability is projected to decrease to 1,367 cubic meters by 2031.
Water Scarcity Prediction	By 2030, about 40% of India’s population could have no access to drinking water.
Government Initiatives	Jal Shakti Ministry has initiated several programs like NMCG, National River Conservation, PMKSY, JJM, Jal Shakti Abhiyaan, and the ‘National River Linking’ project.
Adani Enterprises’ Projects	Adani is implementing wastewater treatment projects at Prayagraj and Bhagalpur, and the Shakkar Pench Lift Irrigation Project in Madhya Pradesh. It’s also planning on venturing into desalination.
Adani Water Limited	The subsidiary of Adani Enterprises is overseeing two HAM projects of 371 MLD capacity in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, and one EPC project covering 95,000 hectares in Madhya Pradesh.
Government’s Budget Allocations	Significant funding has been allocated to initiatives like the Jal Jeevan Mission (rural), National Perspective Plan (NPP), Har Ghar Nal Se Jal scheme, and Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY).