UT most water-stressed, says WRI report

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 6

Chandigarh tops the list of water-stressed states/UTs, a report of the World Resource Institute (WRI), an international think tank, has claimed.

The city receives 87 million gallons of water per day (MGD). It receives 67 MGD from the Kajauli waterworks and 20 MGD through its own 207 tubewells while116 MGD is the peak-time requirement here. Currently, the work on getting additional water supply of 29 MGD is on.

The UT is followed by Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir in the report. In the world, India has been ranked 13th and Pakistan 14th. 

The study took into account the data from 1960 to 2014, excluding anomaly events. Qatar, Israel and Lebanon stand first, second and third, respectively, in the list of countries dealing with the worst water stress. 

As per the survey, out of the 17 nations facing the highest-level of water stress — where 80 per cent of water available is used up annually — India receives the maximum annual rainfall. Overexploitation and water mismanagement are said to be the reasons for water stress in India.

What it means

As per the survey, of the 17 nations facing the highest-level of water stress — where 80 per cent of water available is used up annually — India receives the maximum annual rainfall. Overexploitation and water mismanagement are said to be the reasons for water stress in India.