Ensuring water for all – the challenges
Clean and adequate water is essential for survival and this has a direct bearing on positive health outcomes and food security of India. Most countries have committed to providing clean water and sanitation to every citizen in alignment with UN’s Sustainable Developmental Goal (SGD) – 6. Taking this goal ahead, the Union government started Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) – Har Ghar Nal Se Jal a year ago to provide 55 LPCD safe drinking water to all households by 2024 through functional household tap connections. For this, we need sustainable water sources. Though the use of surface water has been given priority under JJM, groundwater is the major source for drinking water in both urban and rural India, and simultaneously an important source of water for agricultural and industrial sectors. India is the highest groundwater user in the world, extracting about 25 per cent of global resources. About 85 per cent of rural water and 45 per cent of urban water supplies here are met using ...