Common to this part of the world are problems caused by lack of water.  Its scarcity is seen in the build-up of grime, the buckets in the bathrooms (for sponge baths), empty river and lake beds, and in domestic and international conflicts.

I’ve tried to quell my anger at the filth that is inescapable in India because I’ve realized that my simplistic solution of “why don’t they just wash it off” does not apply in a country where water is so hard to come by.  I’m unclear as to whether it’s high prices or dry taps that keep water usage under relative control– washing things is done sparingly, if at all.  What I have heard, however, is that India’s expanding tourism industry–a boon to the economy in so many ways– brings with it millions of water-hungry westerners for whom daily showers are practically a right (rite?).  Try as I may, I have yet to choose a sponge bath if a shower if present.

In the Jaipur region (about 5 hours from Delhi) several forts call to mind the elementary school exercise of “what’s wrong with this picture?”.  Imagine a serenely beautiful palace (for that’s what these forts really are) perched in or above a lake-sized patch of dirt, with banks clearly delineated, and often small pools of residual dirty water from which a few intrepid locals still try to fish.  This is the scene I saw at a couple of Jaipur’s palaces, and dried up rivers and pond banks are visible throughout the region.  According to several people, the cause is the lack of a big monsoon during the past few years.

The problems that accompany lack of water are more than personal and transcend quality of life issues.  They are ‘ability of life’ issues and are at the root of many conflicts, both domestic and international.  Currently, two districts in the south of India are in dispute because Tamil Nadu, owner of a dam in the Kerala district, wants to raise dam levels to dangerous heights.  Their desire is understandable– the dam provides water to three districts, and is in high demand.  Kerala’s position is also understandable.  Should the dam collapse as a result of high water levels, those living in the vicinity of the dam could be in a dangerous flood path.   And then there are the dissenters, such as people living in Tamil Nadu who fear losing all their water in the attempt to gain a little bit more. 

India’s dam building is also ruffling feathers internationally.  The Indus River and its tributaries flow through both India and Pakistan, as well as the disputed region of Kashmir.  The Indus Water Treaties of 1960 specified which country could use which water and for what purposes (eg India could not use some of the Indus’ tributaries for irrigation at the expense of downstream Pakistan).  However, India is currently constructing the Baglihar Dam on the Chenab River in the Indian controlled part of Kashmir.  It seems that depending on whom you speak with, you’ll get different answers as to whether this violates the Indus Water Treaties, with Pakistan seeing the construction as a poaching of their upstream waters.

This problem is not unique to India and its neighbors.  Rapidly growing populations and expanding economies make for thirsty places.   I’ve heard that the Persian Gulf is becoming increasingly salty as Dubai (and other Emirates?) use desalinization processes of the Gulf to obtain potable water.   And Turkey’s Southeast Anatolia Project that involves the contruction of 21 dams and 17 hydroelectric power plants (source:wikipedia) comes at the price of angering downstream neighbor, Iraq.

It’s quite easy to take many of our resources for granted– for us at home the worst is typically the water bills that must be paid.  In other places the situation is much more dire, affecting quality of life and instigating conflicts.