The UN’s newest report shows a red flag for India. We’re looking at an extreme water crisis spread throughout the nation by 2050.

Much of Central India is already struggling with the loss of 40% of surface water resources, thanks to contamination. Coupled with a rapidly expanding population and warming planet, the future shows an even chillier picture; where not only surface water, but most of our ground water reserves will be unfit for consumption as well.

Thanks to unmonitored dumping of sewage and uncontrolled use of pesticides, the Central Board has doubled the number of officially polluted rivers from 121 to 275 in a span of five years. At least 140 kilometers of the Krishna River has completely dried up. The situation with many other rivers including the Cauvery and Godavari is no different. The Central Pollution Control Board warns that if the situation isn’t managed immediately, the after-effects may be irreversible.

Who’s working on a solution?

A problem of this magnitude requires multiple solutions to tackle the various issues causing the water crisis. Professor Vikram Soni of JNU says that the quickest way out is to begin treating our sewage. One such company out there is EcoSTP.  They offer a state of the art solution for on-site sewage treatment taking maximum advantages of natural processes to achieve a reliable and eco-friendly system.

The effort needs to be joined in on by each one of us to amplify the impact. Scientists suggest the only way to save water and meet the demands of the future is to “work with nature than against it”. One way to do this is to ensure water is managed and measured accurately. Our product, WEGoT Aqua, enables every user to actively participate in this effort to avert the water crisis. We are bringing the concept of Internet of Water to our users.

Farmers have been warned not to grow water-intensive crops like sugarcane. As households and individuals, we must take on practices like rainwater harvesting, rooftop gardening, fixing leaking taps when we see them and timing our showers and using technology to help us monitor and manage our usage.

The battle to save the planet and its lovely resources isn’t one that’s fought by a government or political body alone. If only a percentage of humanity is working on a solution to a problem that’s affecting us all equally, how much of an impact can we expect to make? Without a collective effort, five billion people could likely have low access to safe water by 2050.