The issue of water as it impacts both health and environment in India is complex. The large population requires a vast amount of water, but the spatial and temporal distribution of this resource is often to the disadvantage of the people. They have tried to overcome this shortage by drilling tube wells, shallow wells that are reaching ground water that is quickly becoming depleted or filled with harmful elements like arsenic. Now, one of the most populated countries in the world is facing a water crisis driven by both urbanization and geology. The policy which is established both by India and the surrounding countries will largely impact the social and economic face of the region.
The monsoons are an essential to both urban and rural life in India. The south Asian monsoon brings life-giving rain to the Indian subcontinent in just a few short months; when the monsoon fails, the consequences are largely drought. This means little water for irrigating crops or replenishing ground water. This problem can easily begin to perpetuate itself. With no rains, the wells get even more overused, which further lowers the water table. This leaves the underground aquifers open to poisoning from elements like arsenic or pollution from other ground sources normally kept at bay by the pressure of the aquifer (Dissanayake et al, 2010). Arsenic and other chemicals have obvious and harmful effects on the populations; “hyperpigmentation, melanosis, plantar and palmer keratosis, carcinoma of the hand, and oedema of the legs” are just a few serious health problems which are result of consuming food or water containing high (though naturally occurring) levels of arsenic (Dissanayake et al, 2010).
While India is blessed with over 120 cm yr-1 of precipitation a year (the highest of any other country), the temporal and spatial distribution of this water is extremely limited, which leaves many states in India suffering from drought and ground water depletion (Rodell, 2009). The monsoon’s effects are limited by geography. In the region east of the Western Ghats, the high mountains do not let the rains pass and the area has become a veritable desert. Other states have suffered from similar lack of rains or that they simply come in too short of a time period. When such a massive amount of water appears in just a few weeks, the result is flooding; it is simply impossible to capture that amount of water and keep it to be dispersed over the year. Instead, India experiences flooding which serves to further contaminate water systems as fresh and sewage water are mixed together. These are examples of unequal temporal and spatial distributions.
With groundwater in India being depleted at an average of 4.0cm +/- 1.0 cm a year in northwest India, the problem could also become political as the border states rustle with Pakistan for control of more groundwater (Rodell, 2009). As a matter of policy amendment, this may be a prime opportunity for India and Pakistan to come together to provide more fully for their citizens and resolve some political tension. There would be a great reward to both governments if they sponsored the aid which relieves these regions. As Akissa Bahri noted in his article in 2008, “in addition to enjoying a higher quality of life, healthy citizens are more economically productive. Experts estimate that inadequate access to water costs sub-Saharan Africa some $23.5 billion dollars a year.” While Bahri’s article focused on sub-Saharan Africa, the same principles of cause and effect can be seen and applied in India. In Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana, 95% of groundwater depletion is due to agriculture and irrigation (Rodell, 2009). This means that only 5% of the water use would need to be subsidizes by the government to provide cleaning water for domestic use. If Bahri is correct, this could dramatically transform the economic performance of the region and grow and return the government’s investment in that area. If these governments do not act appropriately, it could lead to further political degradation between them. With no relief offered to these areas, these states will once again become grounds for massive movements of refugees, but this time it will be because of environmental causes. Can India afford to displace so many of its citizens? Again?
The political, economic, and social future of India is largely dependent on its citizens’ access to water. By providing water in areas of scarcity or poor quality, India could solve many of its health problems, which would boost the economy, and lead to a more stable country.
