Delhi Assembly lecture series: Basic reason for water crisis in India is inequality, says P Sainath

New Delhi: Ramon Magsaysay Award-winning journalist and author of one of the most authentic books on drought, Everybody Loves a Good Drought, P Sainath said on Monday that the fundamental reason for water and farm crisis in India is inequality, which has accelerated due to the country’s policies in the last 25 to 30 years. “The solution to this fast growing problem lies in our Constitution, where in the Preamble it talks about the equality and justice of the social, economic and political,” he said. Speaking on ‘water and farm crisis in India’ as the first speaker in the Delhi Assembly’s lecture series, Sainath said that due to lack of priority on water supply and usage, the crisis has escalated. “During drought, the money meant for the poor farmers don’t reach them; instead it’s siphoned off to others,” he said. Explaining the meaning of drought, Sainath said, “People think drought is due to meteorological factors, but in fact there’s a hydrological factor to it. I call drought a ‘mega water crisis’, which is caused due to over use of ground water. Even if you get three consecutive monsoons, there may be a relief, but it’s no solution to drought. In the last 20 years, India stands naked in water and farm crisis,” he pointed out. [caption id=“attachment_2859092” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  There’s a hydrological factor to drought as well, said P Sainath. Picture: Twitter/@PSainath_org[/caption] Alarming data Citing NSSO and other data and survey reports on inequality of wealth distribution and water crisis, Sainath said that surveys and data analyses show that the basic problem in India is inequality, and this has given rise to water and farm crises. “Nowhere in the world, growth in inequality between 2000 and 2015, is as high as in India. It’s the highest in India.” The income of a farming family (from all sources) is on an average Rs 6,426 per month, i.e. Rs 1,300 per capita income (NSSO 2013) and the income of main breadwinner (75 percent of rural family) is Rs 5,000 or less per month. In Maharashtra’s three districts, including Mumbai, 53 percent of drinking water caters to 34 percent of the total population, while the top 0.2 percent of Indians hold 41 percent of the total wealth. What are the factors leading to this crisis? According to Sainath, it’s due to the large-scale concretisation of all pilgrim towns, deforestation, construction of hotels and resorts in the ecologically-sensitive belts, housing complexes coming up with large number of swimming pools, diversion to cash crop, misuse and abuse of water. “In Godavari, the ancient historical bathing ghat Ramkunda has been concretised for pilgrims and the water can’t drain into the ground. As a result, Ramkunda has become dry. The most bizarre practice that the government has adopted is pouring 60 to 90 tankers of water per day in the river in a bid to recharge it. Similarly, the source of River Krishna has also dried up,” said Sainath. Why is the crisis growing? Enumerating multiple factors that has the escalated water and farm crisis, Sainath remarked, “Crisis happens due to multiple factors and when the interest of common man comes last.” First, due to policy and administrative handling, the crisis is getting worsened. Second, due to large-scale transfer of land and water from the poor to the rich in the last 20 years. Third, extending undue favours to corporate and industrial sector. Fourth, no prioritisation of water supply vis-à-vis needs. Fifth is due to commercialisation of water. “In drought-prone Marathwada, a poor woman has to pay between 45 paise to Re 1 per litre of water, whereas beer manufacturing companies get three million litres of water per day at 4 paise per litre. When the crisis aggravated, the court ordered a cut in water supply and not in price. It’s due to commercialisation of water,” he said. “There is a single residential complex in Mumbai in its planning stage, which has 210 swimming pools in it. Similarly, in Pune, there is a proposal for a complex with 400 swimming pools. Isn’t it a state that has been suffering from severe drought? How can you have so many swimming pools, where water scarcity is so severe?” he said. A silver lining Citing the example of collective farming (Sangh Krishi) by women in Kerala, Sainath said, “These landless women farmers took land on lease for farming by forming collectives. Today, there are 47,000 collectives. They have adopted natural and organic style of farming. Second, their first priority is to satisfy the demand of the group based on the principle of food justice and after distribution of produce, whatever is left is sent to market. This is a very good example of good practices in farming.”