21 major Indian cities likely to run out of groundwater by 2020: NITI Aayog
Water scarcity
As per the report, titled 'Composite Water Management Index', as many as 600 million Indians grapple with high-to-extreme water shortage
According to a study released by NITI Aayog on Thursday, India is facing the worst water crisis in its history. The study warned the demand of potable water to outrun the supply by the year 2030 in the absence of substantial remedial measures.
As per the report, titled 'Composite Water Management Index', as many as 600 million Indians grapple with high-to-extreme water shortage while around two lakh people die annually because of the unavailability of potable water.
The report estimates India's water crisis to get worse with the rapid increase in the country's water demand which is estimated to double by 2030.
Experts believe that while millions of Indians will face water scarcity, the country may a suffer a loss of up to 6 per cent of the GDP owing to water shortage and escalating demand.
Minister for Water Resources Nitin Gadkari stated that as many as 21 major Indian cities are likely to run out of groundwater by 2020.
The report ranked all Indian states on water management, conservation and restoration practices. The result yielded Gujarat at top of the list followed by Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra. Heavily populated states like Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Bihar and Rajasthan performed poorly on the index.
The report also estimates nearly 70 per cent of the country's water as contaminated.