Water Scarcity

As Punjab and Haryana fret over water, two new orders are causing heartburn

Unchecked paddy cultivation over the years has pushed groundwater levels to unsustainable levels, but a recent decision to stagger sowing might meet with limited success

Hindu Kush snow at 23-yr low, threatens South Asia's water security: Report

Snow persistence -- or snow that usually stays on the ground between November and March -- was 23.6 per cent below normal levels in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region this year, a record low in the last 23 years, according to a new report published on Monday. This marks the third consecutive year of below-normal seasonal snow across the region, the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), an intergovernmental body, said in the 2025 HKH Snow Update report. Snow that typically remains on the ground during winter months has been melting faster or not falling in expected amounts. This snowmelt is a crucial water source for rivers, especially during the dry season. The sharp drop in snow levels across the region could seriously affect water supply to nearly two billion people in India and neighbouring countries. ICIMOD's Director General Pema Gyamtsho said, "Carbon emissions have already locked in an irreversible course of recurrent snow anomalies in the ...

Odisha govt to install over 21K tubewells to tackle water crisis: Minister

The Odisha government has decided to install 21,300 new tube wells across the state to tackle the water crisis during summer, Drinking Water Minister Rabi Narayan Naik said. The decision is part of a broader strategy to ensure reliable access to water for all, he said. The state already has 5.2 lakh tube wells, and the new ones will be installed in places that face a crisis, he added. "No community will be left without drinking water access," Naik said on Friday. He said drinking water-related complaints will be resolved within seven days. Naik, who is also the panchayati raj minister, said the government has decided to allot 1.60 lakh new houses under the Antyodaya Gruha Yojana this year. Priority will be given to differently-abled individuals, destitutes, and victims of natural calamities like floods and cyclones, he said. The work orders for the construction of some houses have already been issued, while the remaining are in process, he said.

Pak water authority asks farmers to brace for up to 35% water shortage

Pakistan's leading water regulator has warned that up to 35 per cent less water would be available for crops this season due to water shortage in the country's two main reservoirs. The warning comes as the staple food crop of wheat approaches its prime when it needs more water to bring more produce. The Indus River System Authority (Irsa) on Friday warned Punjab and Sindh the two major bread baskets to brace for up to 35 per cent water shortages in the last leg of the current crop season, with the Tarbela and Mangla dams rapidly approaching their dead levels. According to the Dawn newspaper, in a letter to irrigation secretaries, Isra told the four provinces that both reservoirs were close to their dead levels. There is the likelihood that provinces of Punjab and Sindh may face a shortfall of 30-35pc while operating the reservoirs on run-of-the-river mode at or around dead levels, wrote Irsa's Director of Regulation Khalid Idrees Rana. According to Irsa's latest data, Tarbela Da

Punjab has no water to spare for any state, Mann tells Ravi-Beas tribunal

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday said the state does not have a single drop of water to share with any other state. Mann stated this before the Ravi Beas Water Tribunal set up for adjudicating river water disputes between Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. At a meeting with the tribunal led by its chairman Justice Vineet Saran, members Justice P Naveen Rao and Justice Suman Shyam, and registrar Rita Chopra, the chief minister reiterated that the state has no spare water to share with any other state and there is no question of sharing even a single drop of water with anyone. Punjab has no surplus water to share with any other state and reassessment of availability of water is required as per international norms, Mann said, according to an official statement. He also urged the tribunal members, who are in Punjab for a site visit of the Ravi water system, to deliver justice to the people of the state. Mann pointed out that Punjab's 76.5 per cent blocks (117 out of 153) a

Govt, people need to work together against water crisis in state: J&K CM

Jammu and Kashmir is staring at a water crisis this year due to a massive deficit in rainfall, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Wednesday, calling for a more proactive approach and collective efforts towards water management and conservation. Kashmir has witnessed a dry winter this year with an 80 per cent deficit of rainfall overall this year, raising the possibility of drought in the valley this summer. Abdullah said in a post on X, "J&K is staring at a water crisis this year. It's not a recent phenomenon, actually it's been building up for a few years now. While the government will have to adopt a more proactive approach for water management & conservation, it can't just be a government centric approach. All of us residents of J&K will have to change the way we take water for granted." The chief minister said he will review the measures being taken by the concerned department to deal with the crisis. "I'll be reviewing the measures the Jal Shakti (PHE) Dept intends .

New York City declares a 'drought watch', asks residents to conserve water

New York's mayor urged residents to take shorter showers, fix dripping faucets and otherwise conserve water, issuing a drought watch Saturday after a parched October here and in much of the United States. A drought watch is the first of three potential levels of water-saving directives, and Adams pitched it in a social media video as a step to try to ward off the possibility of a worse shortage in the United States' most populous city. Mother Nature is in charge, and so we must make sure we adjust, said Adams, a Democrat. He ordered all city agencies to get ready to implement their water conservation plans. He asked the public to do its part by, for example, turning off taps while brushing teeth and sweeping sidewalks instead of hosing them down. The mayor also exhorted residents to report opened-up fire hydrants and other street leaks. The recommendation comes days after the city fixed a leaky Brooklyn hydrant that fed a homespun goldfish pond on the sidewalk. Just 0.01 inches (0

Thousands in North Carolina without water days after Helene's destruction

The powerful storm inundated the western part of the state with catastrophic flooding, destroying pipes, damaging water plants and cutting off power

No free water to people with annual income exceeding Rs 50,000 in Himachal

All water consumers in rural areas of Himachal Pradesh will no longer enjoy the facility of free water supply as the domestic consumers with annual income above Rs 50,000 will have to pay Rs 100 per month. Besides, the commercial establishments will be billed according to kilolitre. The State cabinet which took the decision to increase the revenue and curtail the subsidies on Thursday also decided to provide metered water supply to commercial establishments like hotels and home-stays and bill them on commercial rates. "Domestic consumers with annual income above Rs 50,000 will have to pay Rs 100 per month as water bill while the business establishments like hotels would be charged as per kilolitre and the money collected will be utilised in improving the quality of drinking water," said Sukhu. However, certain underprivileged sections including widows, destitute, 'ekal nari' (single woman), handicapped and other weaker sections will continue to get water free of cost. During the p

Water crisis: Delhi's Geeta colony receives increased tanker supply

Locals, who had been holding demonstrations to protest the ongoing water crisis due to summer, said that their demands for adequate water supply were met through two tankers daily

Delhi's water shortage: SC questions state on action against 'tanker mafia'

Delhi water crisis: Quick response teams deployed by the Delhi government to combat leakages

Delhi BJP holds protest march over water crisis in city

Delhi BJP leaders and workers held a protest march on Friday from Shahidi Park in the central part of the city towards the secretariat over the water crisis in the national capital. Led by Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva, the protesters carried placards and raised slogans against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The Delhi Traffic Police issued an advisory asking commuters to avoid the stretch. "In view of the protest by a political party near Shahidi Park, BSZ Marg Delhi, Traffic will remain heavy at BSZ Marg, IP Marg and BSZ Marg may be closed for traffic movement between 11.15 am to 2.00 pm. Kindly avoid these roads and plan your journey accordingly," it said in a post on 'X'. On Thursday, BJP Mahila Morcha office bearers held a protest outside Delhi minister Atishi's residence over the water crisis in the city.

No Holi water balloons & pool parties please, we're water-starved Bengaluru

The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board wants to conserve every drop of the water of the Cauvery River and borewells

Hoteliers consider using disposables as water crisis deepens in Bengaluru

In the wake of the water scarcity, hoteliers in Bengaluru are mulling the use of disposable cups, glasses and plates to avoid excess use of water. The hoteliers are praying for good rain around Yugadi (Kannada new year) time to overcome the crisis. "Most of our borewells have gone dry and we are dependent on water tankers. If there is no rain around Yugadi, then we will have to make alternative arrangements," Karnataka State Hoteliers Association president Chandrashekar Hebbar told PTI on Saturday. According to him, 90 per cent of the water goes for washing utensils and which eventually goes down the drain. "Now we are seriously exploring 'use and throw' material as an option," Hebbar said. The hotelier said it will be a costly affair but the expenditure on the disposable materials will be passed on to the customers. "We are feeling the heat of the water scarcity in Bengaluru. We are praying for good rain around Yugadi," the KSHA president said. Meanwhile, the civic agency in ..

Water availability in state's dams at 44%, down from 61% in 2023: Fadnavis

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said water availability in dams in the state is just 44 per cent as compared to 61 per cent last year. Speaking in the Legislative Council, Fadnavis said the condition in drought-prone Marathwada region was a matter of concern in view of the approaching summer. "The condition in Marathwada division is a matter of concern. Last year, (this time around) Marathwada had 47 per cent water in its dams. This year the storage is just 24 per cent. The region needs special prioritisation (with regards to water management)," the deputy CM said. Nagpur division has 54 per cent water storage as against 55 per cent last year, while Amravati has 66 per cent, up from 57 per cent, which will suffice in summers, he added. "Last time around the water storage in dams was 61 per cent, but this year it is 44 per cent. It is necessary to effectively manage water. Water will be first prioritised for drinking, then agriculture, followed by ...

Budget session: Maha govt tables supplementary demands of Rs 8,609 cr

The Maharashtra government on Monday tabled supplementary demands of Rs 8,609 crore on the first day of the Budget session of the state assembly. State finance minister Ajit Pawar tabled the supplementary demands, which are additional funds sought by the government over the budgetary allocation, in the legislative assembly, followed by the council. "I table the supplementary demands of Rs 8,609.17 crore before the House," Pawar said. As per the supplementary demand note, demands of Rs 2,210 crore were for financial assistance to farmers whose crops were destroyed due to the unseasonal showers, hailstorms and water scarcity. During the winter session in December last year, supplementary demands of Rs 55,520.77 crore were tabled in the state legislature and eventually cleared.

Rajasthan's 'tankas' mordernised under MGNREGA to battle water scarcity

The district has 2,971 villages, locally called 'dhannis', and respective gram panchayats are the implementing agencies

Why Barcelona may be forced to have fresh water shipped in by boats

Tighter water restrictions for drought-stricken northeast Spain went into effect Wednesday, when authorities in Catalonia said that Barcelona may need to have fresh water shipped in by boat in the coming months. Catalonia is suffering its worst drought on record with reservoirs that provide water for about 6 million people, including Spain's second-biggest city Barcelona, filled to just 18 per cent of their capacity. By comparison, Spain's reservoirs as a whole are at 43 per cent of their capacity. Spanish authorities and experts point to the impact of climate change in the increasingly hot and dry weather behind the extended drought in Catalonia. Barcelona has already been relying on Europe's largest desalination plant for drinking water, and a sewage treatment and purification plant to make up for the drop in water from wells and rivers. Catalonia officially entered the pre-emergency phase for drought, which lowers the daily use per person from 230 to 210 liters (60 to 55 gallons

Rajasthan Assembly polls 2023: Drinking water remains a critical issue

The PM in 2019 had launched the mission as part of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, eyeing to provide around-the-clock water supply in every rural household

No of micro irrigation schemes up 1.42 million between 2013-14 and 2017-18

There has been an increase of about 1.42 million micro irrigation schemes between 2013-14 and 2017-18, according to latest official census data released on Saturday. The sixth census of minor irrigation (MI) schemes showed that the number of both groundwater and surface water schemes have increased at the national level. Out of 23.14 million MI schemes examined, 21.93 million (94.8 per cent) constitute groundwater schemes, while 1.21 million (5.2 per cent) are classified as Surface Water Schemes. This underscores the substantial reliance on groundwater resources for irrigation needs. There has been a delay in release of the 6th census due to COVID-19 and work on the 7th census has already been started, a senior official said. The census data revealed that Uttar Pradesh claims the largest share of MI schemes, closely trailed by Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. Defined as structures within either groundwater or surface water categories with a Culturable Command Area (C