Andhra Pradesh High Court, 2002: Drinking water is a fundamental right under article 21

‘No IPL in Maharashtra due to drought and shortage of water’

O Symbol O Psychology O Awareness O Prioritization of use

In our country, the migration of rural people to towns and cities is increasing drastically. This is causing serious problems both in the rural as well as in the urban areas. In fact, things are becoming really unmanageable. Can you analyze this problem in detail and indicate not only the socio-economic but also the emotional and attitudinal factors responsible for this problem? Also, distinctly bring out why— O Educated rural youth are trying to shift to urban areas; O Landless poor people are migrating to urban slums; O Even some farmers are selling off their land and trying to settle in urban areas taking up petty jobs. O What feasible steps can you suggest which will be effective in controlling this serious problem of our country?

Causes O Rainfall deficit O Policy failures for prioritizing of water resources O Mismanagement of water resources O Poor water management techniques O Increase in the per capita demand of water

Factors affecting per capita demand O Size of the city: Per capita demand for big cities is generally large as compared to that for smaller towns. O Presence of industries. O Climatic conditions. O Habits of people and their economic status. O Quality of water: If water is aesthetically $ medically safe, the consumption will increase as people will not resort to private wells, etc

Bad Practices O In Bundelkhand, which is a drought prone area, crops like ‘Mentha’ are grown. This crop is a water sucker O Paddy is depleting water levels in the state of Punjab O Sugarcane production in Maharashtra utilizes the maximum irrigation

The Way Forward O Change in the cropping pattern For example: Encouragement of production of Oilseeds instead of Sugarcane in Maharashtra O Conservation of ground water. It is interesting to know that India is sometimes referred to as ‘Ground Water Civilization’. For example: The method of ‘Rice intensification’ can reduce the water requirement in Paddy cultivation which can reduce depletion of ground water in Punjab O Shift of energy consumption pattern from thermal power plants to renewable energy resources O Reducing disproportionate use of fertilizers and pesticides

The Way Forward O There are different ministries dealing with different aspect of the same resource. They all can be combined for sustainable development and better management and conservation O There is an urgent need to map our aquifers as they are at the root of water conservation. Agricultural policy needs a re-think for putting ecology before economics O There needs to be a rational prioritization for the use of water

The Way Forward O Practices such as rainwater harvesting, watershed management, contour bunding and agroforestry should be encouraged and the citizens should be educated of these best practices in their best interests O The government needs to invest in de-silting and upgrading water storage in canals and minor water bodies O According to Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Sushri Uma Bharti, supply and demand side management should go hand in hand to address the depleting ground water levels in various parts of the country

‘NREGA funds to be released in time for the drought hit states’

Government Measures National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) It aims to: O Provide adequate water supply O Encourage sustainable use of water O Meet the basic quality standards O Make water readily available at all times Shikayat Nirvan Kendra It is a good governance initiative in the form of a centralized web enabled redressal system. National Water Policy 2012 It aims at: O Using scientific inputs from research for agricultural strategies for management of soil, land, energy and water management O Improving the soil and water productivity along with managing droughts

Government Measures National Water Mission It aims at: O Conservation of water O Equitable distribution of water India Water Week O The 4th India Water Week was organised during the first week of April’16 to elicit ideas and opinions from global-level decision makers, politicians, researchers and entrepreneurs in the field of water resources for mutual benefit and goodwill O Theme: ‘Water for all: Striving Together’

What the 12 th Five Year Plan says O Moving from a single source to multiple sources such as ground water, rainwater harvesting and surface water O Sustainability in drinking water O Revival of traditional water bodies for water conservation O Proper water demand and budgeting O Convergence of all water conservation programmes at the village level O Development of alternative sources for treating arsenic or fluoride contamination than high cost treatment

What the 12 th Five Year Plan says O Salinity Problem:  Solar desalination  Dilution through rainwater harvesting O Jalmani guidelines: for implementation of standalone drinking water purifications systems in rural schools

Water in Indian Constitution O Article 246: Laws to be made by the Parliament and the states O Article 262: Regarding disputes O 7 th Schedule: Regulation and development of inter-state rivers

According to the Indian Meteorological Department What is a Drought? Drought is the consequence of a natural reduction in the amount of precipitation over an extended period of time, usually a season or more in length, often associated with other climatic factors (viz. high temperatures, high winds and low relative humidity) that can aggravate the severity of the drought event. Types of Drought Meteorological Drought: seasonal rainfall received over the area is less than75% of its long term average value Hydrological Drought: period during which the stream flows are inadequate to supply established use of water under a given water management system Agricultural Drought: It occurs when available soil moisture is inadequate for healthy crop growth and cause extreme stress and wilting Socio-Economic Drought: meteorological, hydrological and agricultural drought often lead to what is termed as ‘Socio-economic drought’

How to approach for the Civil Services exam General Studies 1: Society Best Practices - Mission Kakatiya (Telangana)– for restoration of irrigation tanks, - Village Mawlynnong in Maghalaya termed as Asia’s cleanest village, - Bio-toilets by DRDO Implication on Women especially lower income groups Implication on the lower income groups as a whole Geography Water as a resource Drought, classification and declaration

How to approach for the Civil Services exam General Studies 2: Policies of the government General Studies 3: Agriculture Unemployment Integrated development Disaster Management Conservation of water for sustainable development