UPSC Mains 2023 GS1 Q5: model answer
Why is the world today confronted with a crisis of availability of and access to freshwater resources?
What the question wants
Reasons for both scarcity (availability) and inequity (access) of freshwater.
How to structure it
Intro: only about 2.5% of Earth's water is fresh, and under 1% easily usable. Body: (1) Availability: population and demand, over-extraction of groundwater, pollution, climate change and glacier melt, wasteful irrigation; (2) Access: poor infrastructure, inequity, privatisation and pricing, transboundary disputes, conflicts. Conclusion: SDG 6 needs integrated water management.
- 1(1) Availability: population and demand, over-extraction of groundwater, pollution, climate change and glacier melt, wasteful irrigation
- 2(2) Access: poor infrastructure, inequity, privatisation and pricing, transboundary disputes, conflicts
Model answer
Only about 2.5% of the Earth's water is fresh, and less than 1% is easily usable. The UN reports that about 2 billion people lack safely managed drinking water.
Why availability is falling
- Demand: growing population, cities and industry.
- Agriculture: about 70% of withdrawals, much of it by flood irrigation of thirsty crops.
- Groundwater depletion: India is the world's largest user of groundwater; aquifers in Punjab and Haryana are falling.
- Pollution: sewage, industrial waste and fertiliser runoff make water unfit for use.
- Climate change: erratic rain, droughts and retreating glaciers.
Why access is unequal
- Weak pipelines and treatment in poor regions and slums.
- Rich users and industry capture supply.
- Transboundary disputes, as over the Nile and the Indus.
- Conflict zones damage water systems.
Integrated water management, reuse, pricing that protects the poor, and missions like Jal Jeevan Mission are needed to meet SDG 6.
Keywords, cases and data to drop in
2.5% freshwater groundwater depletion SDG 6 transboundary rivers
Where most answers lose marks
- Ignoring the access dimension.
- Listing only natural causes.
Fresh examples from current affairs
Data-sharing policy under Sujalam Bharat DPI for drinking water
On 20 August 2026 the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation issued a Policy on Data Sharing, Interoperability and Stakeholder Access under the Sujalam Bharat Digital Public Infrastructure. It sets a secure, federated framework to share rural drinking water data among the Centre, States, Gram Panchayats and approved stakeholders, with a tiered access model that protects privacy and infrastructure.
UPSC angle: Prelims: JJM; DPI.
20 Aug 2026
Jal Jeevan Mission: rural tap coverage up from 16.71% to 82.09%
Tap water now reaches about 15.89 crore of India's 19.36 crore rural households, or 82.09 per cent, up from 16.71 per cent when the Jal Jeevan Mission began in August 2019, the Jal Shakti Ministry told Rajya Sabha on 27 July 2026. In March 2026 the Cabinet extended JJM to December 2028, raising its outlay to ₹8.69 lakh crore.
UPSC angle: Prelims: JJM norms.
27 Jul 2026
Backgrounder: Catch the Rain campaign renewed
Following the Prime Minister's 28 June 2026 Mann Ki Baat call, a nationwide Catch the Rain campaign ran from 4 July to 4 August 2026. Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari 2.0, launched 1 June 2026, integrates with Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain. Against a target of 1 crore recharge structures by 31 May 2026, more than 1.5 crore were reported.
UPSC angle: Prelims: JSA.
19 Jul 2026
JJM 2.0 reform MoUs begin with Rajasthan and MP
JJM 2.0 moves from building taps to running services; MoUs tie money to reforms.
UPSC angle: Prelims: none.
17 Mar 2026Learn the concept
Question text as printed in the official UPSC question paper: https://www.upsc.gov.in/sites/default/files/QP-CSM-23-GENERAL-STUDIES-PAPER-I-180923.pdf The model answer is original Battle IAS work; use it to learn structure, not to memorise.