Why then is it that there is water in some areas and none in so many other areas?

According to people-in-the-know, it's all because of poor water management. They say that certain Indian officials seem not to understand the value of rain.

The country average rainfall for the year is 1100 millimetres (approximately 21.66 inches). Said one of the authorities: "If the rain that falls between one and two per cent of India's land mass is captured, it would be sufficient to meet the drinking requirement of a billion people at a liberal 15 litres (3.3 gallons) per person per day."

This underscores the point of poor management of water resources. And because of this it has been noticed that rivers are drying and water levels and falling rapidly. However, in some areas that are prone to drought, through sheer necessity and ingenuity, the shortage of water has been licked.

Maharashtra and Rajastan are example of two areas where success has been gained. And this through community initiatives.

This has been noted by local government, particularly in Delhi, where these initiatives have been put into practice. The Central Government is also considering measures for the collection of rainwater.

One NGO, Lok Kalyan Samiti (LKS), is actively harvesting rainwater and this organisation has expressed the view that if other NGOs adopt a similar plan, the shortage of water could be alleviated. LKS has made an appeal to local authorities to make rain water-harvesting mandatory for all new buildings. That is, in the construction of new buildings, there must be facilities for the collection and storage of rainwater.