Jaipur: The draft report of Rajasthan State Action Plan on Climate Change has brought out some alarming facts about the water situation in the state. According to the report, the state has the highest probability of drought occurrence in the country. It also falls within areas having greatest climate sensitivity, maximum vulnerability and lowest adaptive capacity. The preparation of the action plan was facilitated by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and supported by German International Cooperation (GIZ). According to the report, “high dependency on groundwater has resulted in its overexploitation, with nearly 80% of groundwater witnessing depletion. The quality of groundwater has also progressively deteriorated. The stage of groundwater exploitation which was 35% in 1984 has reached a level of 138% in 2008. And out of the 237 blocks in 32 districts in the state, only 30 are in safe category. According to the latest NASA satellite data, the groundwater levels in northern states including Rajasthan have been declining at the rate of 33 cm per year over the past decade.” Nearly 90% of the drinking water and 60% of the water required for agriculture is extracted from groundwater reservoirs. This heavy withdrawal has led to overexploitation of groundwater tables. In fact, such overextraction has brought adverse changes in the geochemistry of water. “In western Rajasthan, due to increased overdraft of groundwater from all the potential regions, recharge to the aquifer during normal rainfall is inadequate, especially because of the sporadic rainfall distribution patterns and the terrain characteristics, with a major portion of the precipitation being lost as runoff or through evaporation,” says the report. WATER WOES The stage of groundwater exploitation which was 35% in 1984 has reached a level of 138% in 2008. And out of the 237 blocks in 32 districts in the state, only 30 are in safe category Nearly 90% of the drinking water and 60% of the water required for agriculture is extracted from groundwater reservoirs Based on the WHO guidelines for drinking water quality, 56% of the water sources in the state are unpotable (not safe to drink) ‘Over 56% water sources in state non-potable’ Jaipur: Besides, Rajasthan accounts for 51% of fluoride and 42% of salt-affected areas in the country. In fact, based on the WHO guidelines for drinking water quality, 56% of the water sources in the state are non-potable. Concentration of natural contaminants such as fluoride, nitrate, and chloride salts are increasing in groundwater, making it unfit for drinking and posing health risks. According to the report, there are two major sources of water pollution in the state: sewage water and industrial effluents. None of the towns in the state, except for Jaipur, have sewage collection, treatment and disposal system. Hence, a lot needs to be done after the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) identified highly polluting industries in the state which includes textiles, cement, distilleries, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, and thermal power plants. Places like Kota, Alwar, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Pali, Balotra, Sanganer, Bhilwara, Jhotwara and Bagru need to address industrial water pollution in state. The Climate Change Agenda for Rajasthan (CCAR) listed a set of priorities for policy and action with respect to adaptation and mitigation for 2010-2014. Keeping that in view, a steering committee has been formed, headed by the chief secretary and principal secretaries of various key departments as members to monitor the implementation of various actions proposed under the Rajasthan Environment Mission. Greenhouse gas emissions from human activities In 1990 it amounted to 18.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, 8.2 lakh tonnes of methane, and 6,000 tonnes of nitrous oxide. On the sectoral basis, emissions were estimated from the energy sector, agriculture sector, industrial processes, waste disposal activities and from land-use, land-use change and forestry sector. Key districts with high emissions in 1990 include Ganganagar, Jaipur, Ajmer, Jodhpur, Nagaur, Udaipur, Chittorgarh and Kota (Total emissions in the district was greater that 1.5 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent). In 1995, Alwar, Sawai Madhopur and Bhilwara were also added in this category. Rising number of vehicles Number of private vehicles have grown at a rapid pace in the state. The total number of vehicles registered in the state increased nearly six times from 10,51,343 in 1990 to 69,93,548 in 2009. And the number is only increasing. These vehicles mainly consume non-renewable fossil fuels, and are a major contributor of green house gases, particularly carbon dioxide emission. Industrial greenhouse gas emissions Global greenhouse gas (CHG) emissions have grown since pre-industrial times, with an increase of 70% between 1970 and 2004. The largest growth in global GHG emissions in this period has come from the energy sector (an increase of 145%) while growth in direct emissions from transport in this period was 120%, industry 65% and Land Use Change and Forestry 40%.