“The ideal solution of depleting ground water resources in India is water harvesting system”. How can it be made effective in urban areas?

Theme

T44 Water security: scarcity, conservation & management

What UPSC asks in this theme

A cross-paper favourite: freshwater crisis, why India suffers scarcity despite endowment, managing land and water, urban water harvesting, micro-watersheds, Jal Shakti Abhiyan, and new water technologies.

What to cover

• Supply vs access vs quality problems
• Causes of scarcity: uneven distribution, wastage, pollution, groundwater overuse
• Rainwater harvesting, micro-watershed development, Jal Shakti Abhiyan, Atal Bhujal
• Alternative technologies: desalination, atmospheric water, wastewater reuse
• Integrated water resource management

Writing the answer

• Structure: problem → causes → measures (supply side, demand side, governance)

These notes are for the whole theme, built from all 7 of its PYQs. UPSC does not publish model answers.