Brief, fascinating article @ TCS about India’s Woe Over H2O
Water is rarely a political topic in rich countries, and in most developing ones it only reaches the national media when its delivery becomes a problem. But India is something of an exception. It has both serious water problems and politicians that are routinely fired for not delivering voters this most precious substance. India desperately needs water reform, and especially privatization, but even the current Indian government — the most free-market oriented realistically imaginable — is unlikely to try to tackle hydro-politics.
There are two most remarkable statistics about Indian water: over one million children die from water-borne diseases every year and illegal water trading realizes over $1 billion in value. What is perhaps not surprising is that these two issues are inter-related. Few Indians (perhaps 30%) have access to decent sanitation and high quality drinking water. Not only does this expose the majority to dangerous dysenteries and other water-borne disease, but it provides back-breaking toil for those (usually women and children) who have to collect it every day. The indirect costs are even more staggering with salinity levels rising in so much irrigation water that crops fail, farmers commit suicide (over 500 year this so far) and thousands of the poorest starve.
Sometimes you can’t take even the tiniest things for granted…
As a bit of an econo-geek, this passage rang very true –
Indians are proud to be part of the world’s largest democracy, but given the elitism in their society they are also part of the world’s largest rent-seeking, politically manipulative and bureaucratically stifling society the world has ever seen.
Actually, water is a huge political issue in the US, but not one that is covered much in the news. California constantly worries about water, the boom in the South West is driven by cheap subsidized water (all these red states are sucking on Uncle Sam’s teat), and Maryland and Virginia just went to the Supreme Court on this issue. Still, your general point is taken. We’re so profilgate that we use drinking water to flush our toilets, which is really dumb.
As for India, some parts of their bureacracy work better than others. The New Delhi subway system has come in ahead of time and under budget, for example, although it is a special case.
V: suggest that you bold the relevant part so it jumps out (or cite it outside the blockquote or both)
“over one million children die from water-borne diseases every year and illegal water trading realizes over $1 billion in value”
WeÂ’re so profilgate that we use drinking water to flush our toilets, which is really dumb.
Not so dumb when you consider that toddlers and dogs are often caught drinking out of the toilet.
Agreed. Water is a very large political (if not popular) issue in the US, especially when you consider the power of the agribusiness lobby. The Colorado River is a contentious issue for those in the western US. It’s not just the US and India, either. Most of North Africa and the Middle East is also facing water scarcity. Bolivia revolted against privatization. The UN predicts that over 2.5 billion people will be facing water scarcity by the year 2025. Frankly, I can’t understand why this isn’t a bigger issue in the media.
For the econo-geek in you, I liked Vandana Shiva’s Water Wars, contrasting views of water as a basic right or marketable commodity.
so true..thanks for posting this. I grew up in india in a small town which depended on hydroelectric power (river water/dams are unfortunately the cheapest source of power in india). we used to have power cuts every morning and every night for 3 hrs each and it was so hard for us to study during exams without light/electricity. And drinking water used to come just from one tap for two hours in the morning for some forty or fifty families. After almost fifteen years now when I visit india I realise situation is even worse, even in cities water for sanitation and drinking comes only for three hours in the morning and three hours in the night.Some of us can afford to buy water but majority of the population who dont even have money for one day meals cannot buy water.Even now they have power cuts in my small town and no electricity on hot summer days and nights. Thanks for blogging on this issue.
It is interesting to see how potable water, which we take for granted in the United States, is major source of tensions in the world. Two of the most publicized world conflicts these days, Israel/Palestine and the Sudan, are rooted in struggles over water rights. Also, Nepal is currently working to use their access to Himalayan rivers to improve their economy by selling hydroelectric power to India. Hopefully that will help both parties involved.