Government to provide piped water to all rural households by 2024, under JAL JEEVAN MISSION flagship scheme under Jal Shakti ministry. This is costly as well as futile exercise since over 70% of India’s surface water (rivers & lakes) and groundwater is polluted So, we Indian’s will need reverse osmosis (RO) for home. The only unpolluted sources of water that remain are the waters underlying the floodplains of rivers (for bulk water) and the subterranean natural mineral water underlying forest tracts which must be protected and conserved.
Floodplains can be secured by planting organic food forests or fruit forests which don’t demand much water. As carving out lakes would require digging out vast quantities of sand. This will affect the wetland ecology of floodplains. It will also cause loss of water due to evaporation.
The natural mineral water underlies in forest is of highest international quality. Unpolluted rain falls on the forest, percolates through humus or leaf cover on forest floors which also picks up the soil nutrients and then through underlying rock while picking up minerals. It finally settles in underground aquifers. All our cities in sweep of western and eastern ghats have such forest aquifers. Bengaluru’s Bannerghatta Forest Sanctuary and Mumbai’s Sanjay Gandhi National Park have underground forest aquifers that can supply water for entire population of Bengaluru and Mumubai. So, can Delhi Ridge for Delhi. However, taking more water than nature can recharge every year will be damaging. We need healthy and perennial conservation and use solutions for future.
As of now Himalayan Mineral water sells at ₹45 per litre, Through forest aquifer scheme the government can provide same quality of water at ₹2 – ₹3 per litre. Most importantly, the water levels of floodplain aquifers need to be monitored scrupulously to be well above river water in order to avoid contamination. For these we need to declare the Floodplains and Forest Aquifers as Water sanctuary similar to the Protected Areas like National Parks and Tiger Reserves.
Reluctant Economist 