Part 5/13:
Efforts are underway to introduce sustainable practices, such as cultivating rice in raised seed beds, which drastically reduces water use. However, farmers face resistance due to fears of lowered yields and economic uncertainty, especially given the government’s minimum support prices that incentivize traditional, water-guzzling crops.
Urban Shortages and Deteriorating Infrastructure
India's cities are not spared from water stress. Reservoir levels across the country are at their lowest in a decade, and groundwater depletion in urban areas has reversed years of sustainable use. Delhi, the national capital, extracts more groundwater than can be replenished, threatening future supplies.