Water Crisis in India/edited by K.R. Gupta. New Delhi, Atlantic Pub.,
2008, vi, 418 p., ISBN 81-269-0958-2.
Water Crisis in India/edited by K.R. Gupta. New Delhi, Atlantic Pub.,
2008, vi, 418 p., ISBN 81-269-0958-2.
Contents: Preface. 1. Troubled waters/K.R. Gupta. 2. Aspirations and an earth forgotten/T.N. Narasimhan. 3. Water and science in India/T.N. Narasimhan. 4. India's water and sanitation challenges/David C. Mulford. 5. Safe drinking water villages: a sustainable rural enterprise/D.R. Prasad Raju. 6. Rain harvests and water woes/T.N. Narasimhan. 7. Who owns Groundwater/T.N. Narasimhan. 8. Water shortage in India and diseases caused/S. Chakarapani. 9. Water and India's constitution/T.N. Narasimhan. 10. India's Water wars/Srinand Jha. 11. Water crisis: origin identification and management/B.V. Babu and V. Ramakrishna. 12. Removal of heavy metal pollutants from wastewater using low cost absorbents/B.V. Babu and Suresh Gupta. 13. PM's Address at the National Congress on Ground Water--2007, September 11, 2007 New Delhi. 14. PM's Address at the Annual Conference of Ministers in charge of drinking water and sanitation. 15. Water Year--2007: General facts. 16. Water in XI Plan. 17. National Water Policy, 2002. 18. An overview of irrigation development and flood management. 19. India's international cooperation and treaty. 20. Sector reforms for optimal benefits. 21. Delhi Water Board (Amendment) Bill, 2002. 22. Drought prone areas in India. 23. Indus-Water Treaty. 24. State Water Policy. 25. River water disputes. 26. Inter-state Water Disputes Act, 1956. Contributors.
"Water is a prime natural resource and a basic necessity for sustaining life on earth. Supplying adequate amount of potable water to the global population is a gigantic task in the wake of growing industrial and domestic needs. The threat of climate change and global warming which has aggravated the problem of water shortage is of particular concern to India as we are largely dependent on glaciers and rainfall for water supply.
The United Nations' World Water Development Report, Water: A Shared Responsibility emphasizes the need for good governance to meet the ever increasing demand for water. The report asserts that mismanagement, corruption, lack of appropriate institutions, bureaucratic inertia and paucity of investment in human and physical sources mar water management today. The situation calls for right policy decision and adoption of sustainable practices.
The problem is acute in India because of its high population density, space and time variability of rainfall and increasing depletion and contamination of its surface and groundwater resources. Most water resources in India are contaminated by sewage and agricultural run-off. Besides, overuse of pesticides and chemicals in agriculture is the primary cause of groundwater pollution in India. Further, uneven water distribution across the country is another aspect of water problem. A large area of the country is water deficit whereas a small part is bestowed with abundance of water. This has led to inter-state conflicts.
The present anthology contains well researched articles by eminent scholars who have deeply analysed the problem and its various implications. Major factors responsible for the problem have been studied in detail and some measures have been suggested to retrieve the situation.
The book will serve as a reference source for students, researchers and policymakers and all those concerned with an ensured supply of water across the country." (jacket)