The Indian Prime Minister has recently announced that the government is highly committed to providing piped water to every household in the country by the year 2024. This ambitious plan marks the twelfth time that India has set an objective to deliver water directly to households, making it a critical point of focus for the nation’s development agenda.
The Scale of the Challenge
Accomplishing this task of providing piped water to every household will require extensive resources and planning. Around 8.43 million homes, which are currently lacking direct access to drinkable water resources, have to be connected to the water pipeline system within the next five years. This implies that about 4,620 homes need to be added to this network every day, guaranteeing a water supply of 40 litres per day.
Another significant obstacle that the country faces is the “slippage” problem. This problem implicates the recurring cycle where regions previously supplied with safe drinking water facilities regress to a ‘not-covered’ status. The reasons for this reversal could range from the drying up of water sources to the collapse of facilities due to lack of maintenance.
Water Stress in India
Currently, India finds itself in a water-stressed situation, primarily attributed to drying reservoirs and decreasing groundwater levels. With imminent water scarcity, the source of water supply for the ambitious piped water scheme remains a question. What compounds the problem is the quality of available water sources. An alarming report by NITI Aayog points out that nearly 70% of India’s freshwater sources are contaminated, making the provision of safe, drinkable water even more challenging.
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Number of households without water facilities | 8.43 million |
| Number of households needing connection daily | 4,620 |
| Freshwater sources contaminated | 70% |
Planning the Way Forward
Despite these challenges, India’s objective of providing piped water to every household is not unachievable. The pressing need is to create awareness among the populace about water conservation. The Jal Shakti Ministry needs to collaborate closely with states to ensure that every household gets connected to the water pipeline system. Furthermore, urgent measures are needed to improve the quality of water sources and maintain them sustainably. Water, being a state subject, makes the center’s intervention limited, necessitating stronger co-ordination between central and state governments to successfully realize this vision.
