A severe water crisis in Delhi has escalated into a legal dispute after Haryana refused to release extra water to the national capital. This issue is part of a broader water shortage affecting many parts of India, worsened by increasing heat waves that have spiked power and water consumption.

Households are struggling with a lack of freshwater as underground water levels continue to drop. Climate change is a significant factor in this shortage, but overuse and wastage of water are making the situation worse. Reports indicate that the average Indian wastes 30% of their daily water needs. For example, a leaky faucet dripping 10 times per minute can waste 3.6 liters of water per day, according to the United States Geological Survey. Additionally, every toilet flush uses nearly six liters of water.

A report by Down to Earth magazine highlights the severity of the issue, stating that every day, 48.42 billion liters of water are wasted in India, while approximately 160 million people do not have access to clean, fresh water.

India, home to nearly 18% of the world's population, has only 4% of the world's water resources. According to the World Bank, India's per capita water availability is around 1,100 cubic meters, which is below the water stress threshold of 1,700 cubic meters per person and close to the water scarcity threshold of 1,000 cubic meters per person. In comparison, the global per capita water availability is 5,500 cubic meters.

Population growth and economic development have significantly increased the pressure on water resources. In 1970, India's per capita water availability was 2.5 times higher than it is today. The per capita freshwater availability was 2,594 cubic meters in 1970, which decreased to 1,661 cubic meters in 1990 and further to 1,036 cubic meters in 2020, according to the World Bank.

Northern and northwestern India are more stressed than other regions. In 2020, Punjab extracted 164.4% of its available groundwater, far exceeding sustainable limits. Rajasthan extracted 150.2%, Haryana 134.6%, and Delhi 101.4% of their annual groundwater supplies, according to the Ministry of Jal Shakti.

India's freshwater scarcity is a significant national issue. Of 197 countries, India ranks 141st in per capita freshwater availability. By contrast, Iceland has the highest per capita availability at 4.6 million cubic meters, followed by Canada with 74,986 cubic meters, and Russia with 29,929 cubic meters.

Despite the looming water scarcity, India remains one of the largest water users per unit of GDP. The ongoing water crisis, exacerbated by climate change and population growth, underscores the urgent need for sustainable water management and conservation practices across the country.