Water Crisis in the Indian Subcontinent

Undoubtedly, water is the most vital resource, but there are numerous water crises/problems affecting man. The foremost problem is shortage of adequate and safe domestic water in many parts of the world, including the Indian Subcontinent. The Indian Subcontinent is land of contrast in terms of hydrological regime. Unfortunately, water crisis has worsened over the years, threatening the existence of man, plants and animals. Water problems of the Indian Subcontinent are related with water excess, water shortage, water pollution, over-exploitation of ground water, lowering of water table in most of the aquifers, depleting sources of surface water, encroachment on water bodies, chocking of the natural and artificial channels, urban floods, retreating glaciers and snow fields, erratic rainfall, salinity, water logging, water borne diseases, water ownership, conflicts on sharing of water, submergence of land under reservoirs, displacement of the people due to construction of dams, high arsenic and fluoride contents in the ground water, water conservation and so on. Some of these problems are dealt with in the Book, which will be valuable for the water managers, technocrats, planners, NGOs and people of the Indian Subcontinent. (jacket)