India faces serious water crisis

(Baonghean.vn) - The world's second most populous country is facing the risk of its worst water crisis ever, as the water level of the Ganges River is dropping at a record level.

The canals leading from the Ganges River to the power plant have dried up due to lack of water.

In mid-March, a large hydroelectric plant on the banks of the Ganges River in West Bengal, India, had to shut down because the water level in the canal leading from the river to the plant fell below the allowable level. More than 1,000 households along the river were left without water.

A power plant that generates a quarter of India's electricity was shut down for 10 days, the first such shutdown in 30 years. The government immediately sent thousands of bottles of water and even called in fire trucks to provide water for people.

The drought that has lasted for two consecutive years and the lack of melting glaciers in the Himalayas (which contribute 15% of the Ganges River) in the past year are the reasons for the alarming decline in water resources in India. The situation does not seem to be getting better, with the latest climate report from the United Nations predicting that the amount of water lost from glaciers in the Himalayas by 2035 will be only one-fifth of what it is now.

In addition to natural causes, humans have also contributed to the loss of water resources in India. Indiscriminate exploitation of groundwater and groundwater pollution have further depleted water resources. In addition, the 2,500 km long Ganges River is also seriously polluted, meaning that the health of 1.3 billion Indians is threatened by the lack of clean water.

The past three months of summer have seen the water levels in India’s 91 reservoirs drop to their lowest levels in a decade, with only 29% of their total storage remaining. Water shortages not only affect people’s health but also pose a risk of conflict.

Many small islands emerged in the middle of the Ganges River due to the sharp drop in water level.

Thousands of people in drought-stricken Maharashtra are now completely dependent on water supplies. Authorities there have banned gatherings of more than five people around water tanks. Other states, such as Punjab, have been embroiled in disputes over river water rights.

Currently, the Indian government is still trying to face the risk of water crisis. The most recent move is asking cities to stop supplying water to swimming pools to focus on saving water for domestic use. Obviously, water scarcity is happening more and more in the world and any country must be ready to face it.

Thanh Hien

(According to BBC)