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Heavy metals can harm aquatic life in freshwater bodies

The Himalayan region, also known as the ‘Water Tower of Asia’, is a lifeline for two billion people in the region. Most of the Himalayan cities in India are tourist destinations and host large populations during peak tourist season, creating challenges for water and sanitation. 

The imperils of climate change are many, with its impacts — both sudden and slow-onset — having extreme repercussions. The increasing temperature, erratic and incessant rainfalls, melting of glaciers, glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), declining snowfall, soaring heatwaves, frequent drought spells and irregular monsoon patterns keep the people on the sidelines.

Access to improved water and sanitation continues to be a challenge with 26 percent of the world’s population (2 billion) not having access to safe drinking water services, and an estimated 46 percent (3.6 billion) lacking access to safely managed sanitation (UN-Water, 2023).

Have you ever considered how much water goes into your morning cup of coffee or your delicious bowl of soup at dinner? Would you be shocked to learn that a 100ml cup of coffee actually involves water consumption of almost 140 litres? This is your water footprint, a metric that measures the total water used to produce goods and services.

In recent years, there has been a notable trend towards overdependence on groundwater for irrigation in the Chikkaballapur district of Karnataka and the Annamayya district of Andhra Pradesh. The transformation in the region has been marked by a growing number of cases where farmers are drilling borewells as a response to the declining water table over the years.

Common lands make up one-fifth of India’s landmass and play an important role in meeting the subsistence and livelihood needs of more than 350 million rural population, and are of great social and cultural significance to rural communities. However, they are still officially designated as ‘wastelands’ since colonial times informs this paper titled '

Research shows that social factors, in addition to medical care, significantly influence health outcomes. These social determinants include clean air, healthcare, food, education, decent working conditions, adequate housing, clean water, and standard of living. Access to safe drinking water is a key factor in improving health outcomes and reducing health disparities.

Launched in 2019, the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) aims to provide every rural household with adequate and safe drinking water by 2024.

India has a large expanse of common lands that meet the livelihood needs of over 350 million people.