Saving water should be part of dev strategy: Shekhawat
India should prioritize water conservation to make it an integral part of its development strategy as it emerges as one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, jal shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said on Wednesday. “With India being one of the fastest growing economies in the world today, it is imperative for the country to show seriousness towards increasing use of water and its conservation to move forward with its developmental pursuit," the minister told the Mint sustainability summit. India, with 18% of the global population, possesses a mere 4% of the world’s potable clean water resources, setting the stage for a looming crisis.
With water demand hovering at 1,100 billion cubic metres (BCM) per year and a projected rise to 1,447 billion cubic metres by 2050, the situation is critical. Notably, India also ranks at the front of global groundwater exploitation. “This need for seriousness is also important because our situation in terms of water is very challenging.
When it comes to exploiting groundwater, what America and China do together, we do it alone," the minister remarked. He, however, added that the achievements made by India in the last decade in water management are unique and historic. “India is the top country in the world in campaigning for water conservation and providing pure water to every household through taps.
Out of a total 190 million rural households in the country, more than 130 million (67%) are getting tap water supply. With the number of connections we have given in the past one year, we would have provided water to every household in Japan or Egypt," he said. Stressing India’s commitment to achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) goals, Shekhawat said that in line
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