Page 73 - EW July 2022

Books

public policies have made ‘Day-Zero’ situation. situation demands a scarcity in the near future.
the water problem acute in Ramesh explains this multi-dimensional policy The uncertain income
India’s multiplying cities. term as politically loaded approach necessitating of the vulnerable Indian
In the chapter ‘The Great and initially used by South proactive action by households makes water a
Indian City Water Crisis’, African municipalities individuals, community, scarce commodity. There-
Ramesh chronicles real sto- to alert people of water civil society, and fore, there’s need to ensure
ries to delineate the ground scarcity. Day Zero in In- government. First, there’s minimal guaranteed
reality of urban India’s dian cities is an imminent urgent need for political incomes for economically
water crisis. She argues and frightening reality as will to manage the water weaker sections to make
that water scarcity varies most urban municipali- resources of India. This them receptive to policies
depending on wealth, geog- ties are ill-equipped and requires abolition of free that promote water man-
raphy, and usage. insufficiently qualified to electricity and unchecked agement.
For the wealthy, water ensure regular supply of use of groundwater to win This book cuts across
availability is taken for piped water to households. rural votes. several disciplines and
granted, for the middle Ramesh highlights the Further action required passes a powerful message
class, it is preferably daily predicament of the includes reviving lakes, that we are responsible for
not cognizant. The poor vast majority of citizens improving forest cover, re- our water and we need to
remain the most vulner- who need to jostle, cajole juvenating tanks for water manage it. Rich in facts,
able in acquiring the water and bribe authorities who storage, and large-scale anecdotes, ground reali-
needed for their subsis- have the power to control sewage and wastewater ties, and scriptural text, it
tence. Naive development this scarce resource. management solutions. comprehensively narrates
plans and haphazard In its second section Ramesh suggests media India’s water history, the
growth of Indian cities ‘Action’, this book suggests campaigns at local levels present situation and
regardless of availabil- scalable solutions to to make people aware of future availability of this
ity of this scarce natural ameliorate India’s water India’s water crisis and vital resource.
resource and its overex- crisis. According to the how climate change will MOHAMMAD IMTIYAZ
ploitation have created a author, this aggravating aggravate its volatility and (The Book Review)

72 EDUCATIONWORLD JULY 2022