Relevance: GS Paper III (Ecology and Environment)
Theme of the article
The energy sector must be required to report its water consumption.
Why has this issue cropped up?
The Composite Water Management Index (CWMI) by the NITI Aayog, which was released this June, shows that 600 million people face high to extreme water stress in India.
Findings of the report
- The report places India at a dismal 120 among 122 countries in the water quality index.
- It predicts that a persistent water crisis will lead to an eventual 6% loss in the country’s Gross Domestic Product by 2030.
- The sector-wise requirement of water (that is, for drinking and domestic use, industry and energy) will rise steeply between 2030 and 2050.
Water requirements of the energy sector
- The mounting rise in demand of water is starkly evident in the energy sector.
- The share of water consumed by this sector was 0.62% in 2010, which is pegged to rise up to 1.37% in 2030 and 8.98% in 2050.
- Thermal electricity accounts for more than 86% of India’s total power generation. 77% of India’s total electricity comes from thermal power plants that are dependent on freshwater sources.
- Of all the freshwater-cooled thermal plants, 38.9% of generation capacity is installed in areas with high or extremely high water-stress.
- By 2030, more than 70% of India’s existing thermal power utilities are likely to experience an increased level of water competition from agricultural, urban, and other industrial demands.
Way forward
- Daily water withdrawal and consumption reporting should be mandated. These can be measured with existing technology.
- Information about water stress, power plant siting (location) and so on must be shared seamlessly across departments — a service that the CWMI could perform.
- CWMI will help in monitoring performance, improving transparency, and encouraging competition, thereby boosting the country’s water achievements by fostering the spirit of ‘competitive and cooperative federalism’ among the states.
- Further, the data can also be used by researchers, entrepreneurs, and policymakers to enable broader ecosystem innovation for water in India.
- Factoring in the water-energy nexus linkages, especially the metrics around power plant water withdrawal and consumption, will only help make the Index better and the States better prepared to manage their water and power resources.
Conclusion
CWMI will help in monitoring performance, improving transparency, and encouraging competition, thereby boosting the country’s water achievements by fostering the spirit of ‘competitive and cooperative federalism’ among the states.
