Page 71 - EW July 2022

Books

are still in the process of Looming water
unshackling the colonial WATERSHED: HOW WE
chains imposed on us by crisis DESTROYED INDIA'S WATER &
Piketty’s world. HOW WE CAN SAVE IT
While he says that prop- Mridula Ramesh
erty owners have always RIDULA Ra- HACHETTE INDIA
exerted excessive influence mesh’s compel- Rs.699; 415 pp
on governments to create Mling work traces
systems of “military and the trajectory of India’s
colonial domination”, it water history over 4,000
was third world geogra- years to highlight a grave the corrective measures A compelling
phies that were their play- crisis confronting the required to rectify India’s narrative that traces
ing fields. Because of these country today. Global burgeoning water crisis. India's water history
and other reasons, the eco- warming is a tragic reality It begins by explaining over 4,000 years to
system of general prosper- and it is being predicted the fault lines and stressors highlight a grave
ity, innovation, growth and that by 2030, India will of India’s water resources. crisis confronting
entrepreneurship assumed fail to meet half its water Emphasising the sci- latter-day India
to be natural by Piketty is demand. As the book’s ence of water and India’s
yet to substantially emerge blurb points out, water monsoon uniqueness, it’s
in our geography. The logi- availability per person in important to understand ening of traditional and
cal question that follows is India has been decreas- how India should man- natural mechanisms that
whether his prescription is ing for decades, leaving age its water given highly could mitigate the water
relevant to our geography. parts of the country in a variable rainfall across crisis.
Therefore, prescrip- cruel ‘Day Zero’ situation, states and regions of the A chapter ‘Chinks in
tions appropriate for the shuttering factories and country. Ramesh argues India’s Water Armour’
‘developed West’ may pushing farmers over the that insistence on growing argues that India’s low
not be relevant in cur- brink. As the climate heats commercial crops beyond a and falling water storage
rent environments where up, it is likely that swathes region’s water endowment, capacity is the outcome
low productivity agrarian of land will be submerged, disrespecting monsoon of policy failures and
systems still predominate water-related extremes will variability and inter-an- unplanned engineer-
(Indian urbanisation is be- reshape industry and fam- nual variations of rainfall, ing. In another chapter
low 40 percent as against ine will revisit the country. have created India’s first ‘The Green Revolution’,
80 and above in the West) Ramesh compares water fault line. Ramesh attributes India’s
and thus, require ordinary India’s past and present Further, anthropocen- depleting groundwater
‘old-style development’ as she posits that ancient tric activities such as the reserves to widespread use
and ‘wealth creation’. In- engineering and tradi- decimation of forests, sand of HYV (high-yield variety)
terestingly, this book infers tional technologies were mining in rivers, depleting seeds, which have reduced
that the Indian policy of designed bearing India’s groundwater and rivers to the soil’s propensity to
securing social equity via volatile water availability gratify human needs have retain moisture. Although
caste/class reservations is in mind. However, their altered seasonality and the Green Revolution
more progressive than any ingenuity often failed to geographical variations has enabled India to
measure so far adopted in battle monsoon variability and resulted in a warmer become self-sufficient in
the developed West. and over-exploitation of world and snowmelt, foodgrains, its sustainabil-
Piketty’s conclusion that water resources, which led creating an additional fault ity is doubtful, warns the
early capitalism helps im- to the collapse of civilisa- line in India’s water avail- author. There is a need for
prove equality in underde- tions like the Indus Valley ability. ingenuity to expand India’s
veloped countries should and flooded Pataliputra, Moreover since inde- food security as the Green
silence those advocating the capital of the powerful pendence, water manage- Revolution formula needs
rapid spread of equity in Maurya dynasty. ment has been ignored copious water. Farmers
such environments and The book is divided in at the public policy level. growing unsuitable crops
persuade them to prioritise two broad sections — ‘Un- Ramesh cites American using rapidly depleting
growth over distributive derstanding’ and ‘Action’ climate activist Bill McKib- groundwater are com-
justice. — narrating how India’s ben who famously said pounding India’s water
TCA RANGANATHAN relationship with water has “water doesn’t negotiate” crisis, she warns.
(The Book Review) become dysfunctional and to highlight India’s weak- Likewise unsuitable

70 EDUCATIONWORLD JULY 2022