Back to the presentation pageDrinking water in India : a foodstuff to protect !
Why is drinking water threatened and what measures are being taken to improve the situation?
In 2008 millions of Indians have still no access to drinking water for various reasons :
First, India is a densely populated country with about on a billion and 200 million inhabitants and a density of 351 inhabitants per square furthermore, the population increases tremendously since in five yeards it increased by 2 millions.
I Problems with suppliyng drinking water
First problem, more and more people need water.
As it turns out the water supply dates from british colonial time and is responsible for 50 % losses.
Second problem is diminution of the amount of available water:
On the over hand, the green revolution implemented in the sixtees by the indian state to ensure its food independence dramatically reduced and polluted the groundwater. Always anxious to produce more, farmers decided to use chemical fertilisers and pesticides and thoughtlessly drew on underground water reserves for irrigation, according the UNESCO sources. Intensive farming hasled to water pollution, both on the surface and underground. Furthermore the production of rice and wheat, which requires large quantities of water, makes the situation ever more difficult, in some regions where farming plays a prominent part. Irrigation alone consumes 90 % of the water taken from natural sources...
Third problem: Water is often polluted .
II Conséquences
Analysis made in 28 towns have proved that only 26% of tested water points have satisfactory results.
The lack of drinking water explain such a high infant mortality
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| Child having e wash in town | Child bringing of water in country. |
Any more, in some towns the taps doesn't run all the day, but only one day out of two as in Bangalore, where résident 6 millions people are living. Ther is a lack of water because electricity is very expansive for pumping.
Otherwise in country water is present but people have to draw it from wells and to bring back enough for a day.
What are solutions to improve the situation?
. Sources:
- manuels d’histoire et géographie de 5ème
- internet:
http://eau-fait-en-inde.over-blog.com/
http://www.fotosearch.fr/bthumb/BDX/BDX006/bxp240292.jpg
http://www.fr.irc.nl/page/44415
http://www.veoliaeau.com/presse/communiques/presse-2008/20080609,nagpur.htm
http://www.actu-environnement.com/ae/news/degremont_inauguration_eau_chennai_3122.php4
