With the decreasing availability of water resources in the country, the Union Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR) has advised the State Government to putting water meters for the water supply made through the Government-developed system.
While the MoWR has harped on urgent steps to improve water conservation and improve water use efficiency, it has advised the State Government to work out appropriate mechanism for formulating water pricing policy and to explore possibility of putting water meters.
While in 2001, Per Capita Water Availability(PCWA) was 1,820 Cubic Meter (CUM), by 2050 PCWA will go down to 1,140 CUM, which will be alarming feel experts.
Under this backdrop, the MoWR has advised the State Government to take urgent steps for water conservation and improving water use efficiency. MoWR Union Secretary Upendra Prasad Singh asked the State Government to initiate urgent steps for water use efficiency in all the sectors.
Singh has pointed out that according to the National Commission On Integrated Water Resources Development (NCIWRD), the total water availability in the country through precipitation is about 4,000 Billion Cubic Meter (BCM) Per Annum.
He has informed that after evaporation 1869 BCM, water is available as natural runoff.
Due to topographical and other factors, the utilizable water availability is limited to 1,122 BCM. It has been estimated that the Average Annual Per Capita Water Availability in 2001 was 1,820 CUM.
And in 2011, it has gone down to 1,545 CUM, which will further go down to 1,341 CUM in 2025, warned Singh, adding it will be lessen to 1,140 CUM in 2050. He has pointed out that there is general lack of awareness on the part of general public in using water properly and efficiently. In view of the decreasing availability of water in the country, there is a growing requirement of improvement of water use efficiency.
Biggest user is the irrigation sector, which uses water much more and specifically ground water resources.
The groundwater wastage is much more and in day to day life, people excessively use water in flushing cisterns in toilets, waste water in washing and bathing as well as in kitchens.
Apart from that, there is substantial loss of water due to leakage during distribution of water from source up to consumer end.
The Union Secretary has advised to sensitise people on judicious use of water through mass media and generate awareness in this regard.