India: millions without tap water

Written by David Fletcher 05 Aug 2022
India: millions without tap water

India has 18% of the world’s population, but only 4% of its water resources. It is one of the most water-stressed countries in the world. Many face high to extreme water stress; depending on an increasingly erratic monsoon for water requirements increases this challenge. Climate change is likely to exacerbate this pressure on water resources, as the frequency and intensity of floods and droughts increases. Currently the World Bank is engaged in various aspects of water resource management and the supply of drinking water and sanitation services across the country. Also, prime minister Narendra Modi has launched the Jal Jeevan (water is life) Mission, which aims to bring tap water to every Indian home by 2024. Millions of households have benefited from the programme so far. But with just two years left before the deadline, millions are still waiting, and people living in rural areas travel miles on foot, across harsh terrain, to collect water from sources that are not always clean.

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