Come summer, and water becomes a commodity as precious as gold in India. The country has 18 percent of the world¡¯s population, but only 4 percent of its water resources, making it among the most water-stressed in the world. A large number of Indians face high to extreme water stress, according to a recent report by the government¡¯s policy think tank, the NITI Aayog. India¡¯s dependence on an increasingly erratic monsoon for its water requirements increases this challenge. Climate change is likely to exacerbate this pressure on water resources, even as the frequency and intensity on floods and droughts in the country increases.
Å·ÃÀÈÕb´óƬ is engaged in different aspects of water resource management and the supply of drinking water and sanitation services across the country. Here are some of the ways how.
Stemming groundwater depletion
Groundwater is one of the most important sources for irrigation as well as for rural and urban domestic water supply. However, overexploitation of this valuable resource has led to its depletion.
Å·ÃÀÈÕb´óƬ is helping the supporting the government¡¯s national groundwater program, the , to help improve groundwater management. Implemented in 8,220 gram panchayats across seven Indian states, this is the world¡¯s largest community-led groundwater management program. Since groundwater conservation lies in the hands of hundreds of millions of individuals and communities, the program is helping villagers understand their water availability and usage patterns so they can budget their water use accordingly.
In the agrarian state of Punjab, where rampant tubewell irrigation is causing the water table to fall drastically, the Bank helped the state government pilot an innovative scheme to conserve groundwater. The ¡°Paani Bachao, Paisa Kamao¡± (Save Water, Earn Money) scheme incentivizes farmers to reduce groundwater usage. Around 300 enrolled farmers were given cash incentives to save electricity used for irrigation, resulting in water savings of between 6 and 25 percent without any adverse effect on the yield.