Convenience should not replace resilience

Thoughts inviting for discussion from Shridhar Pandey, Blue Community Gautam Buddha Jagriti Society, India:

Convenience should not replace resilience: Are we becoming dangerously dependent on a single water system?

India’s Jal Jeevan Mission, with its vision of “Har Ghar Nal, Har Ghar Jal” (Tap Water for Every Household), is transforming rural drinking water access through massive public investment. The initiative undoubtedly represents a significant step toward improving the quality of life for millions.

However, an important concern deserves equal attention: in our pursuit of modern water infrastructure, are we abandoning the traditional systems that once ensured community resilience?

Across many villages, wells have disappeared, indigenous hand pumps have been dismantled, and a large proportion of India Mark hand pumps remain non-functional. Communities are increasingly dependent on overhead tanks and centralized piped water supply systems.

While efficient under normal circumstances, a single-window system carries inherent risks. Water supply interruptions due to technical failures, power outages, labour strikes, contamination, or prolonged droughts can quickly disrupt daily life. Moreover, with limited hours of supply, households often have little capacity to store adequate quantities of water.

The recent global disruptions caused by geopolitical conflicts affecting fuel supply chains remind us of an important lesson: overdependence on a single source makes societies vulnerable. Water security is no exception.
The way forward is not to reject piped water systems, but to complement them with decentralized alternatives. Reviving community wells, maintaining functional hand pumps, restoring ponds, promoting rainwater harvesting, and protecting groundwater recharge structures can provide critical backup during emergencies.
True water security lies not in choosing between traditional and modern systems, but in integrating both to build resilience for the future.