Topic Of The Day:-“Parched Or Polluted: On India’s Water Crisis“
India’s water crisis is clear and present, with implications for the health of the entire population. According to the Composite Water Management Index developed by NITI Aayog, 70% of the water resources are identified as polluted. This is based primarily on data supplied by States for calculating the index. If the water accessible to millions is contaminated, the problem is infinitely worse than that of availability. The system of ratings for States is based on their performance in augmenting water resources and watersheds, investing in infrastructure, providing rural and urban drinking water, and encouraging efficient agricultural use. It presumes that this ‘hall of fame’ approach will foster “competitive and cooperative federalism”. What emerges from the early assessment is that States such as Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Punjab and Telangana have initiated reforms for judicious water use, while populous ones such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have failed to respond to the challenge. Tamil Nadu, which has a middling score, does well on augmentation of water sources, but is abysmally poor in ensuring sustainable use for farming. The trends that the data reflect of high to extreme stress faced by 600 million people call for speedy reforms. Two areas that need urgent measures are augmentation of watersheds that can store more good water, for use in agriculture and to serve habitations, and strict pollution control enforcement. In this context, the Committee on Restructuring the Central Water Commission and the Central Ground Water Board, chaired by Mihir Shah, has called for a user-centric approach to water management, especially in agriculture. It advocates decentralisation of irrigation commands, offering higher financial flows to well-performing States through a National Irrigation Management Fund. Clearly, awarding an index rank should help advance such schemes, making States feel the need to be competitive. Yet, such approaches may not resolve seemingly intractable inter-State river disputes. As the Cauvery issue has demonstrated, State governments would rather seek judicial intervention than be accused of bartering away the rights to a precious resource under a shared, cooperative framework. Groundwater extraction patterns need to be better understood through robust data collection; less than 5% of about 12 million wells are now under study. Steady urbanisation calls for a new management paradigm, augmenting sources of clean drinking water supply and treatment technologies that will encourage reuse. Pollution can be curbed by levying suitable costs. These forward-looking changes would need revamped national and State institutions, and updated laws. A legal mandate will work better than just competition and cooperation; it would make governments accountable.
MEANINGS AND WORDS
1) Contaminated
Meaning: Make (something) impure by exposure to or addition of a poisonous or polluting substance.
Example: “the site was found to be contaminated by radioactivity”
Synonyms: Pollute, Adulterate
Antonyms: Purify
2) Augmenting
Meaning: Make (something) greater by adding to it; increase.
Example: “he augmented his meagre income by plying for hire as a ferryman”
Synonyms: Increase, Expand
Antonyms: Decrease
3) Presumes
Meaning: Take for granted that something exists or is the case.
Example: “the argument presumes that only one person can do the work”
4) Hall of fame
Meaning: A building that contains images of famous people and interesting things that are connected with them.
Example: You really know you’ve made it when they enshrine you in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
5) Judicious
Meaning: Having, showing, or done with good judgement or sense.
Example: “the judicious use of public investment”
Synonyms: Wise, Sensible
Antonyms: Injudicious, Foolish
6) Middling
Meaning: Moderate or average in size, amount, or rank.
Example: “people on middling incomes”
Synonyms: Average, Normal
7) Abysmally
Meaning: In an extremely bad way; appallingly.
Example: “she treats me abysmally at times”
8) Habitations
Meaning: The fact of living in a particular place.
Example: “signs of human habitation”
Synonyms: Occupancy, Residence
9) Enforcement
Meaning: The act of compelling observance of or compliance with a law, rule, or obligation.
Example: “the strict enforcement of environmental regulations”
Synonyms: Imposition, Application
10) Decentralisation
Meaning: The transfer of authority from central to local government.
Example: “efforts to promote decentralization and reform of the national political party”
11) Demonstrated
Meaning: Clearly show the existence or truth of (something) by giving proof or evidence.
Example: “their shameful silence demonstrates their ineptitude”
Synonyms: Reveal, Indicate
Antonyms: Hide
12) Bartering
Meaning: Exchange (goods or services) for other goods or services without using money.
Example: “he often bartered a meal for drawings”
Synonyms: trade, Swap
13) Robust
Meaning: Strong and healthy; vigorous.
Example: “the Caplan family are a robust lot”
Synonyms: Strong, Powerful
Antonyms: Weak, Frail
14) Levying
Meaning: Impose (a tax, fee, or fine).
Example: “a tax of two per cent was levied on all cargoes”
Synonyms: Impose, Charge
15) Revamped
Meaning: Give new and improved form, structure, or appearance to.
Example: “an attempt to revamp the museum’s image”
Synonyms: Renovate, Redecorate
