This refers to the article, “The challenge of water insecurity” (September 1) by Kota Sriraj. Governments must realise that the cultivation of inherently water-intensive crops such as hybrids and GM crops are resulting in groundwater depletion. Natural farming helps build the water retention capacity of soils. Hence, it should be encouraged. Industries must be made to return to the earth every drop of groundwater they extract. Individual households and apartments must be encouraged to optimise the use of water through rainwater harvesting and recycling of grey water through rootzone treatment methods or decentralised and efficient sewage treatment solutions.
Failure to do this may result in a cataclysmic repeat of the recent floods in Kashmir and Chennai. Cities must take anticipatory measures to combat acute water scarcity in dry spells such as summer, instead of exploiting the groundwater in relatively less water-stressed areas by indiscriminately sinking huge number of borewells over there and transporting the water back in tankers.