There is no shortage of water for the wealthy: from beer bars to golf clubs

Growing number of golf courses

As many as 230 golf courses are listed as affiliated to Indian Golf Union. The actual number is higher because there are unaffiliated golf courses, military golf courses and company golf courses which are not affiliated to the IGU. But besides getting land at throwaway rates, the golf courses are accused of paying a pittance for the water they guzzle. Golf courses use huge volumes of water daily and questions are being raised. In pre-Independence times, most of the golf courses came up outside or on the outskirts of towns and cities. But with the cities expanding, many golf courses are in the middle of a large population now. And it is ironical that while people around the golf courses may not have access to water but the golf courses themselves are never short of the precious resource.

Private swimming pools

Delhi Development Authority (DDA) in 2019 announced new housing schemes but made it clear that it would not provide running water to the buyers. The buyers would have to arrange for borewells and dig for water. In sharp contrast, gated communities coming up in the National Capital Region and other cities and high-end apartment complexes, come with the lure of private swimming pools. A growing number of individual house owners too prefer to have their own swimming pools which are eyesores in a water-starved country but few regulations exist to ensure that the proud owners pay more than the usual domestic water rates. No attempt is made to restrict their number and encourage community swimming pools instead.

Water theme parks

A growing number of water-theme entertainment parks have come up for the amusement of residents in cities. Water slides and ‘snowdromes’ besides ice skating rinks are growing attractions in the amusement parks. Maintaining ice and snow when the mercury is sizzling at 46 degrees Celsius requires both water and energy. But once again, both water and power are supplied at throwaway rates.

Beer and bottled water

Beer bars and branded water bottles have proliferated in the drought-affected areas of the country over the years. The bottled water industry is said to be among the fastest growing industries in the country. Water bars have not yet arrived in India, like the ones in Europe that cater to the rich, trendy and the beautiful and offer water from exotic places, glaciers etc. in designer bottles that give wine bottles a run for money. But one senses it is just a matter of time. These sectors are being given a free run in the absence of regulations.

Sugarcane and roses

Water needed to cultivate one acre of sugarcane can irrigate 10-12 acres of crops like ‘Jowar’. Sugarcane is estimated to require 18 million litres of water per acre, enough to cater to the domestic needs of three thousand people for a month @ 40 litres per person per day. Sugar factories also guzzle water and conservative estimates put the requirement of nine million litres a day for crushing sugarcane. Paradoxically, Maharashtra and UP’s sugarcane growing areas are invariably in drought-prone and water-scarce areas. Undeterred the state has also encouraged rose plantations, which require even more water at the rate of 21.2 million litres per acre.