Conserving, Augmenting and Sharing Water

There is a huge crisis for water all around the world, certainly in India with groundwater table going down and drinking water selling almost at the rate of toned milk. Who would have imagined two decades ago that a very large number of people in the country would be paying about Rs.15 a litre for drinking water. That also shows that country has abdicated its responsibility to provide quality water in public supplies. This has not happened in a day. Recalling the lecture of K M Munshi, 1953 about the Gospel of Dirty Hand, a plea is made to link hydrological cycle, nutrient cycle and the local community. The concept of land army developed then is still relevant. Institutional and technological innovations for managing water are described next followed by specific policy suggestions for improving water conservation in urban and rural areas. While the recommendations were made in the context of Gujarat, they are equally relevant for any other state or region.