Page 35 - Tata-Trusts-Annual-Report-2021-22

OVERVIEW regulated, and funded states for implementing
programmes dealing with various aspects of water,
India accounts for about 16% of the world’s population, but ranging from ground and surface water management,
possesses only 4% of the global freshwater resources. service delivery in urban and rural areas, to water for
Over the past few decades, the country has consistently irrigation, which have been apportioned among a
drawn upon critical groundwater resources, which account number of ministries with little to no coordination
for 40% of India’s water supply. Today, it is undergoing the among themselves.
worst water crisis in its history and is projected to touch
critical water scarcity levels in the absence of any change The Trusts’ Tata Water Mission (TWM) aims to create a
or remedial measures. healthy and water secure future for underserved
communities by providing access to safe, assured, and
Currently, over 600 million people face high to extreme adequate water and improved hygiene services through
water stress, with 75% of households having no access sustainable approaches covering 42 districts across
to drinking water on their premises. A McKinsey and Water 14 states.
Resources Group report estimates that in a business-as-
usual scenario, the country’s water demand is expected to
rise to a level that is twice the available supply, by 2030. OBJECTIVES OF TATA WATER MISSION
This would translate into more than 40% of the population
• Provide functional household tap connectivity to every
not having access to drinking water, and 6% of the
household, by creating a user-centric and sustainable
country’s GDP being lost due to acute water scarcity by
drinking water service delivery mechanism.
2050. This would result in the biggest humanitarian crisis
in the history of independent India.
• Address water quality challenges through innovative
context-specific and a ordable solutions at the
Apart from microbial water contamination, the
community and household levels.
occurrence of diseases due to chemical
contaminants, such as fluoride, arsenic, iron,
• Promote water security approaches to make
nitrates, etc., is becoming highly prevalent in
communities self-reliant for their
rural and urban areas due to the over
water needs (drinking, domestic,
exploitation of groundwater and other
and agricultural).
human induced problems like excessive
usage of fertilisers, improper disposal
• Provide information and sustainable
of industrial waste, etc.
solutions across the value chain to
promote safe and e ective menstrual
During the recent past, the
hygiene management.
institutional landscape for
water in India has become
• Create awareness among stakeholders though
somewhat fragmented, with about seven
social behavioural change communication.
ministries and more than 10 departments
having a say on di erent aspects of water
• Build a resilient ecosystem by developing an
management and use, with overlapping roles and
institutional structure and social capital.
responsibilities. The centre has facilitated, legislated,

ANNUAL REPORT 2021-22 28