Water : Drink it or waste it!

ARUNAYAN SHARMA

Water, water everywhere, not a drop to drink. Given that the earth is three-fourth surrounded by water, this could very well become a reality in the coming few decades. And as the wise say, all future wars will be those fought for water.
Freshwater, which is essential to sustain life, development and the environment, is a finite and vulnerable resource. As such water resource systems must be designed, protected and managed well so that water is used intelligently, now and in the future, while maintaining their ecological, environmental and hydrological integrity.

Around 20 per cent of India’s population does not have access to safe drinking water; about 40 per cent of the urban population  below poverty line  have no access to water; 70 per cent of the people do not have access to sanitary services; 80 per cent of children in the country suffer from water-borne diseases; over millions of these children die each year; millions of people suffer from problems related to water quality due to the presence of fluoride, iron, nitrate, arsenic, heavy metal and salinity.

Water scarcity is now becoming an acute problem, an annual feature in the urban areas of Malda district, particularly in the densely populated Malda town. Every year during the lean season of March through May up to June, residents experience the trauma of running households with abysmally low quantities of water, of course, the quality of which again is questionable. There appears to be no will to solve the problem; in fact, it seems the people of Malda are being deliberately denied water.

Ecological and environmental integrity requires the provision of “quality” water that is environmentally safe and enables the protection of water ecosystems and resources. Water of poor quality is like having no water at all. Prevention of pollution beyond the systems’ assimilative capacity maintains the health of the resource and enhances sustainability. Maintenance of ecological and environmental integrity also means allowing minimum “environmental flow” in rivers to maintain groundwater levels, lakes and wetlands and the recognition of these water ecosystems as legitimate users of water. Each of these bodies has a unique role, and characteristic linkages to other environmental entities. Unbalanced and uncontrolled use alters the flow regimes and impacts life support systems at all biological levels. We must recognise the critical thresholds that must be met to allow water ecosystems to function properly.

Hydrological integrity studies are based on water cycle linkages with land and water features. The way land is used affects the water quality of the surrounding water bodies. All land use planning should recognise this. For example, Malda’s wetlands important for recharging groundwater resources are vanishing rapidly. The adaptive management of water resource systems is required to cope with the natural variability of renewable water resources, and to monitor environmental outcomes so that the renewing capacity of the ecosystems is maintained for future generations in a sustainable way. Variability in water flow is a natural phenomenon and extreme events bring substantial economic damages.

Water management processes will become increasingly complex in the coming years in the “Lake District” of Malda. Implementable solutions have to be site-specific keeping in mind the differing agro-climatic, physical, economic, social, environmental, legal and institutional conditions. These days, the development of the urban water supply system is demand-driven. Yet, almost no effort has been made to manage demand. As the demand for good quality water increases, there is a growing recognition of its scarcity and its value. The concept of water as a pure social good to be handed out free of cost is increasingly being challenged. It has been realised that unless the value of water is made evident, there will be no incentive to manage water properly and ensure water security. There are many instruments for achieving this objective: regulation, ownership and, perhaps the most important of all, pricing.

The main objective of the English Bazaar Municipalty of Malda district, West Bengal water supplier is to deliver an adequate quantity of pure and safe drinking water to the customer’s tap at adequate pressure. No city in India has a 24-hour, seven days a week, full pressure water supply system that meets WHO quality norms. In fact, intermittent water supply and leakages have become the norm in cities and towns of India. People have to adapt to the system by investing in water pumps, overhead tanks and water purifiers, or have to buy directly from informal vendors. Although the English Bazaar Municipality once priced the water supplied to consumers it has now lifted such a practice. Water pricing is must; it would boost the willingness of communities to manage and also to pay for the operation and maintenance of the system.

An effective regulatory framework would facilitate affordable delivery of adequate and safe water to consumers. Pricing rules try to balance incentives to use water efficiently with social concerns such as the quality of water supply, universal service goals, and subsidy schemes for the poor. Power needs to be carefully defined to guard against abuse. Pricing is important not only for the purpose of sustaining the delivery process, but also for creating accountability between service providers and customers. When we pay for a product (consider water delivered through a tap as a finished product), we reflect our demand, but more importantly when we pay, we are more willing to hold the providers accountable. It is the latter relationship of accountability that is at the core of demand management for water security. Unless we can hold the providers accountable, we, as customers and beneficiaries cannot obtain water security in any real sense. The subsidies should target the provision of water supply units ~ tap connections and water meters. Pricing policies work even better when the customer base is increased with metering and billing. Faulty water meters and unmetered connections cause a huge revenue decrease in the urban water system.

Several rulings, both at High Courts and at the Supreme Court, have interpreted Article 21 of the Constitution to include a right to clean and sufficient water. Although awareness regarding right to water may be generally low in India, well informed citizens in different afflicted parts of the country have through Public Interest Litigations been able to ensure that authorities provide for clean and sufficient water. The right to water is also fast being recognised as an international law, particularly in this case, as a human right.

Water is life; its denial amounts to a grave violation of fundamental rights, at both national and international levels. Institutions and authorities responsible for maintaining water resources and providing water are being hauled up by the Judiciary for failing in their obligations. Awareness among people, particularly in affected areas, about their legal rights vis-à-vis water access is growing. It is time for authorities to shed their apathy towards the water problem in Malda district. In the event that they don’t, citizens should have enough scope to take legal recourse. Ecological, environmental and hydrological integrity of water resource systems of Malda must be protected while ensuring equitable access. The authorities should note that they are losing much more money by keeping the problem alive!

Arunayan Sharma
Director
Centre for Ecological Engineering,
Netaji Subhash Road, In front of T.O.P,
Malda – 732 101, West Bengal.
Email : s_arunayan@rediffmail.com