Mumbai: Maharashtra is among the top five states for composite water management, according to a report by Niti Aayog released in Delhi on Thursday. Gujarat has topped the Niti Aayog’s composite water management index (CWMI), followed by Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra. Niti Aayog has ranked the states, including 9 broad sectors with different indicators covering various aspects of ground water, restoration of water bodies, irrigation, farm practices, drinking water, policy and governance.
However, Maharashtra that was ranked fourth for the year 2015-16, has slipped on fifth position for the year 2016-17. For the purposes of analysis, the reporting states were divided into two special groups – ‘North Eastern and Himalayan states’ and ‘Other States’, to account for the different hydrological conditions across these groups. The report stated, “Several of the high and medium performers—Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana—are states that have suffered from severe droughts in recent years. The action taken by these states, and their subsequent good performance on the Index, are likely driven by necessity in the face of looming water shortages. This correlation shows, positively, that corrective action is starting in some of the areas that need it the most.”
In North Eastern and Himalayan states, Tripura has been adjudged number one in 2016-17 followed by Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Assam. In terms of incremental change in index (over 2015-16 level), Rajasthan holds number one position in general states. The low performers comprise of the populous northern states of UP, Bihar, Rajasthan, Haryana, and others, and are home to over 600 million people. The report also highlighted that India is undergoing the worst water crisis in its history. Already, more than 600 million people13 are facing acute water shortages. Critical groundwater resources, which account for 40 per cent of our water supply, are being depleted.
