The dwindling water storage level across India is sounding alarm bells, particularly in states like Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Tripura, Rajasthan, Bihar, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. These regions, vital for crops such as sugarcane, paddy, cotton etc., rely heavily on sufficient water reserves during sowing and crop growth periods.
The depleting water reserve and reports of acute water shortage in cities like Bengaluru are a testament to unchecked population growth and urban expansion, leading to pollution and increased carbon emissions, ultimately contributing to climate change.
We must act on a war footing, and protect the cities from further damage. The sustainable pledge undertaken by the Government must be fulfilled. The sugar industry, which is an important contributor to green energy, has to keep up with this core agenda of supplying ethanol and developing other green products which will help protect the environment and augment the incomes of the industry and the farmers.
One hopes that the 2024 Southwest Monsoon will be bountiful which will replenish the reservoirs and groundwater levels. Adequate rainfall in agricultural States will be instrumental in ensuring a robust summer crop, thereby mitigating inflationary pressures. Moreover, a successful sugarcane harvest in the upcoming 2024-25 season is crucial for India to achieve the ambitious 20% ethanol blending target set by the Hon’ble Prime Minister for 2025-26.
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