Mumbai among thirty Indian cities that could face major water crisis by 2050

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in its recent report has painted a gloomy picture for India with regards to the water crisis.

According to the report, thirty cities in India which includes Mumbai, Kolkata, Jaipur, Amritsar and Kozhikode could dramatically witness increased water risks unless urgent action is taken to mitigate the upcoming doom. Besides the Indian cities, some of the cities across the world who could suffer the same fate are Beijing, with China accounting for almost half the cities, besides Jakarta, Johannesburg, Istanbul, Hong Kong, Mecca and Rio de Janeiro.

In today’s world, the water crisis has become a pertinent issue. As per reports, 785 million people – 1 in 9 – lack access to safe water and 2 billion people – 1 in 3 – lack access to a toilet across the planet. According to the WWF, the 100 cities that are expected to suffer the maximum due to the rise in water risk by 2050 are home to at least 350 million people which includes crucial national and global economies.

Amidst the problems of climate change and global warming, the Smart Cities initiative undertaken by the government of India could offer an integrated urban water management framework combining urban planning, ecosystem restoration and wetland conservation for building future-ready, water-smart and climate-resilient cities. However, in the time to come, if adequate steps are not taken to mitigate these persistent issues, the country and the world at large, could be facing one of the biggest calamity of all times.