The UN has declared 2005-15 as “Water for Life” period. This means how to use available water and find out the alternative measures for future. This states the urgency to come out of thinking that water is a “free resource” on this planet as for millennia, this has been true.The population of human beings was well below the level the planet could support. But once the advancements of science and technology have enabled this race of Homo sapiens to weather the “vicissitudes of nature” at least to a greater extent than before, the population and standard of living have begun to rise. This has been particularly so over the last 300 years, starting with the Industrial revolution in the West. In case of India and China, the need of water is increasing with burgeoning population that needs more water for domestic consumption than ever. The crisis of water in the cities of India during summer season is the live example of such a situation. Apart from domestic consumption, water is very much needed for industrial and agricultural purposes. This article discusses the present water scenario in the world, drinking water scenario in India, water management and agriculture, challenges in marketing water, ecological affairs, administrative control of water and provides some international examples.
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Paper provided by EconWPA in its series Urban/Regional with number
0512014.