1. The main issues causing the water crisis.

a) Drought due to climate change

- Thus, affect the monsoon rain season.
- Rain might only fall at some places or sometimes fall few weeks late.
- Insufficient water supply for agricultural activities especially during summer.
- Plus, climate change causes the Himalayan glaciers to melt rapidly which
block the water resources from river.
- Hence, leads to drainage of water due to rivers do not flow as usual.
- This includes rivers of the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra and the Indian
subcontinent.
- Other than that, due to less occurrence of rainy days, groundwater has slowly
running dry as well.

b) Rapid population outsourcing water demand

- Population in India keep on growing without taking into account all of the
resources required especially water in order to support all of these people.
- Not to mention, cities are being developed rapidly with little infrastructure
planning causes these cities is not fully equipped to support the rapid
population growth.

c) Limited infrastructures for water conservation and storage

- This includes storage for usable rainwater which can be one of the
consumable water resources.
- Because local lakes and inlets are no longer safe due to intrusion as well as
environmental degradation.
- As for water conservation, such as waste water treatment, rainwater
harvesting systems and water recycling and reuse, the infrastructures are
limited as well.

d) Limited sources of consumable water

- Due to the drastic climate changes as well as heatwave especially in summer,
four reservoirs that supply India’s sixth largest city which is Chennai are
almost dry up.

Page 1
- Other than that, the water surface has become more sporadic thus making it
is not safe to be used or drink thus limiting the water resources.
- Not to mention that most of groundwater are being blocked and salinized
due to leakages on canals.
- Furthermore, irresponsible people has discharged raw sewage or other
untreated chemical waste illegally into the sewer systems which lead to the
rivers and lakes.
- Hence, causing severe contamination and water pollution.
- Next, most of the poor people are underfunded and not having enough
money to buy the fresh water supply sold.

e) Mismanagement of water infrastructures

- Rapid development of dams and diversion are being built at Krishna river,
Andhra Pradesh and upstream of Maharashtra and Karnataka.
- This is because several authorities wanted to own the rights towards these
rivers.
- However, these dams are not being maintenance properly due to corrupted
and underfunded authorities and finally become waste.
- Most of the authorities are not using the funds properly especially for the
maintenance of the dams, providing well and canals as well as fresh water
supply.
- Without proper maintenance, all of the dams that initially built for water
storage had been lost due to siltation and leakages can be seen everywhere.
- Causing these dams to become inefficient and become environmentally
dangerous.

Page 2
2. How the water crisis affects the health and safety of the
population in the short and longer period of time?

a) Lost jobs and faced financial problems

- Most of the water are being used for agricultural activities.
- However, climate changes have caused long drought and less rainfall which
leads to drying up of rivers and lakes as well.
- Thus. There is insufficient water supply to grow any crops.
- When they cannot grow any crops, they could not generate any incomes thus
they have no money to either buy foods or to purchase water for drinking
and agricultural activities.
- Not to mention, when they cannot grow any crops on their soil, there are also
facing huge debt.
- Thus, number of crimes committed especially among the unemployed people
keep on rising.
- In addition, those farmers who cannot stand to pay huge debt with high
interest rate have committed suicide.
- Meanwhile, the some decided to migrate to the cities and in hoping to change
their fate.

b) Poor health and spreading of chronic diseases

- When taps water is drying up and the dams are no longer efficient in storing
rain water, they only left with using the unsafe water resources to survive.
- To add more, they even have to use the same dirty water repeatedly to wash
utensils in order to save more clean water for drinking and cooking.
- When clean water has run out, they have to drink or used the unsafe or dirty
water for drinking and cooking.
- Thus, this definitely give bad effect towards their health.
- For example, chronic illness and disease rise rapidly which leads to death and
even infant mortality.
- Plus, over 200,000 people die yearly due to the consumption of unsafe water
supplies.
- Other than that, insufficient water supply makes it impossible to set up a
proper toilet especially at the rural area.
- Some of them have to defecate in the bushes or even in the plastics without
having the access to wash their hands and body parts with water and soaps
after defecate.

Page 3
- Hence, this traditional toilet may cause several severe health issues such as
diarrheal and respiratory infections.
- In addition, clean water is vital for rehydration process and electrolytes in
order for children with diarrhea to survive.
- Insufficient supply of clean water may lead to massive deaths either due to
chronic diseases or malnutrition.
- Next, groundwater pumped is unsafe due to high concentration of salt and
harmful poisons such as uranium, arsenic and fluorides.
- These dangerous substances cause bone deformities, arthritic pain and skin
diseases as well as cancer.

Page 4
3. The possible solutions that can be implemented, stating its
pros and cons or challenges of implementing the solutions.

POSSIBLE
PROS CHALLENGES
SOLUTIONS
Peepoo – • Sealed by knotting, thus • Not totally hygienic
biodegradable, breaking down the excreta. without proper water
single use plastic • Can generate income by supply.
bags to act as selling these bags including • Require subsidies for
disposable toilet the content as fertilizers. supplying the
biodegradable plastic
bags.

• Filter all of the dirty stuffs • Require subsidies to

Filtering device to
out of water so the water is afford the filtering
refrain from using
water-purifiers for safe to be consume. devices.
reverse osmosis. • Less maintenance – filter • Local commercial
need to be replaced only incentives is needed for
once a year. the yearly maintenance.
• Cheaper than osmosis due to
no energy required during
the process.

Big companies Reduce water consumption: • Time consuming.

develop new • Use eco-friendly enzymes to • Not all big companies
products which is replace chemical in making are willing to change.
eco-friendly and knitwear.
reduce the usage of • Introduce low-lather
water. detergents.

Desalination Processing sea water that is Require huge amount of

unsafe to be consume to energy and expensive.
consumable water.

Provision of water is • Give autonomy to • Some authorities do not

being handled by professionals. spend the money
private sector • Provide better facilities accordingly especially
instead of politician regarding water resources. for maintenance.

Widen the water Increase the amount of rainfall Require larger spaces or
catchment areas catchment. lands.

Page 5
Water treatment • Treated used water is being Expensive cost for the
safely disposed to avoid water treatment system.
causing pollution.
• Treated used water is reused
for industrial purposes or in
air-conditioning sector and
appliances.
• Treated used water is mixed
with water reservoir for
drinking purposes.

Increase awareness • Install low-use taps and loos. Not everyone is aware
regarding water • Use suitable amount of water regarding the conservation
conservation during shower and washing of water supply.
the clothes to ensure the
water supply is running for a
long period.

Report the bad Pressure them to provide better The action required might
services provider to services and utilities in the take some time.
International future.
Benchmarking
Network for Water
and Sanitation

Water and • Record the rainfall, tabulate • Incomes are not rising.
agricultural the water budget and decide • Most of the crops are to
management on which crops to grow and be eaten and not to be
estimated the water sold.
consumption. • Lack of knowledge as
• Tabulate the findings on a they are just regular
wall village and updated farmers.
throughout the year to
forecast the average water
supply needed.
• Fully utilized the water
supply from the rainfall and
change the type of crops
according to the amount of
water supply.
• Replaced chemical fertilizers
with compost, mulch,
manure and organic weed
killer to avoid water
pollution due to harmful
chemicals.

Page 6
Improve irrigation • Use remote sensing by • Required high
system satellites. technology with better
• Alert the farmers on how internet coverage.
much of water consumption • Limited to farmers with
is allowable without smartphones.
damaging the ecosystem in
their river basin.

Improving the To prevent any water losses due Dams require large space
system of the dams to evaporation, channeled the which can be damaging to
rainfall into the sand the environment especially
catchments. animals’ habitat.

Provide education Reduce amount of water Require cooperation from

regarding how to use becoming waste. several parties including
and reuse water government and
efficiently politicians.

Change of personal • Smallholders need to sell Involves several costs and

habits and their lands if any dams are subsidies as well as
agricultural required to be build at that cooperation form
activities particular space for water politicians and
catchment process. Hence, government.
increase water storage.
• Farmers to grow high values
crops which produce high
value in the market. Switch
to less water consumed crops
in order to save water.
• Switching from loving to
have long shower to just a
quick but clean shower to
reduce water consumption.

Implement policies Increase the water tariff once Time consuming in

regarding water the domestic users surpass the enabling these policies as it
tariff and taxes first allowable water requires several steps to be
consumption so they will use implemented.
water efficiently.

Page 7