NITI Aayog's water management index not really useful, needs major changes

The CWMI was developed based on progress achieved in groundwater management, restoration of water bodies, irrigation, farm practices, drinking water, policy and governance

In the last week, various national media outlets reported that 600 million Indians are exposed to extreme water stress, that three-fourths of households have no piped water, 70% of all water is contaminated and India stands at the 120th among 122 countries on the water quality index. This alarm followed the NITI Aayog’s release of the ‘Composite Water Management Index’ (CWMI), on 14 June 2018 in New Delhi.

The CWMI document has ranked India’s states (except Jammu and Kashmir) and ordered them based on their ability and preparedness to manage their water resources properly. However, the report did