New Delhi, March 17 -- India is a parched nation. With an annual per capita freshwater availability below the international threshold of 1,700 cubic metres (m3), India ranks 132nd in the world with respect to per capita water availability. This makes the country "water stressed".

Between 1950 and 2024, there has been a decline of 73 per cent in per capita surface water availability in the country, as per the Union government's India Water Resource Information System (see 'Surface water scarcity').

Source: India Water Resource Information System If no steps are taken to address this issue, India could become "water scarce", when water availability drops below 1,000 m3 per capita per year.

Cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad an...