Empower women as managers of vital resources: It could help save India from water bankruptcy

‘Water bankruptcy’ is a term coined to convey a stage after which it is impossible to return to ‘normal’ water levels without major changes. Popularized by a January 2026 United Nations report calling out the reality of an era of “global water bankruptcy,” the term has attracted considerable attention.

While globally relevant, the report highlights India as a hotspot for groundwater depletion, given our overdependence on rapidly diminishing aquifers. Thanks to decades of over-extraction, cities and rural regions in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan and the Deccan are seeing borewells dry up as groundwater levels fall below the recovery level. The effects are visible in scarcity all around.

Infrastructure alone is no longer enough; the new baseline requires judicious water management. In March, the government announced that the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), its flagship programme for rural piped potable water supply, would be extended to December 2028, with its outlay enhanced to ₹8.7 trillion. It has signalled a transition from infrastructure creation to service delivery, supported by drinking water governance and an institutional ecosystem for sustainable rural piped potable water supply.

Initiatives like the Atal Bhujal Yojana (Atal Jal) promote community-led groundwater management. Now in its final year, it has helped promote local water budgeting at the Gram Panchayat level, so communities decide how their water is used and protected.

Such community involvement is vital to manage demand, change behaviour and encourage local responsibility for groundwater, which supports most rural homes and almost all irrigation. Hindustan Unilever Foundation (HUF), the philanthropic arm of Hindustan Unilever Limited, also emphasizes community leadership in its programmes, with a focus on women’s stewardship.

Water budgeting, the missing link: This means planning how much water is available, how much is needed and how to use it wisely. Without proper budgeting, communities struggle to prevent shortages. By making water budgeting mandatory, the government hopes to close this gap. Communities must track their water sources, monitor usage and set limits based on supply. This helps avoid over-extraction.

Despite progress, challenges remain. India’s water demand is rising, driven by population increase, urbanization and farm needs. Climate change is worsening shortages with unpredictable rainfall and longer dry spells. Pollution adds complexity as contaminated water sources become unusable. In response, we need a multi-pronged approach.

Reduce demand: Encourage water conservation and efficiency in homes, farms and industries. Fixing leaks, using water-saving appliances and recycling can make a big difference.

Protect natural resources: Restore and maintain aquifers, wetlands and soils. These natural systems store and clean water, assuring long-term supply.

Improve management: Use transparent accounting for water use, enforce limits on extraction and involve communities in decisions. Technology can help track water levels and usage.

Promote behavioural change: Educate people on water conservation and responsible use via community and school initiatives plus media campaigns.

Invest in infrastructure: Investments in rainwater harvesting, treatment plants and efficient distribution systems remain important.

Community-led water management is crucial. When local people take charge of their water resources, solutions are more effective and sustainable. Women, in particular, play a central role in managing water for households and agriculture. For better outcomes, we must empower women to lead and make decisions about water use.

Programmes like those run by HUF show that when women are given charge, water supplies are better managed and protected. This model can be adopted nationwide. Women’s leadership accelerates behavioural change, keeps usage within ‘budget,’ and sustains water assets over time, proving that water security and women’s empowerment can thrive together in a healthy and mutually reinforcing cycle.

India’s water crisis is complex, but not unsolvable. Old ways of managing this resource are no longer sufficient. As water bankruptcy is now the reality, we urgently need transformative change. The future of water availability in India depends on the actions we take today and an effective response needs governments, communities, businesses and individuals to work together.

The author is chairman, Hindustan Unilever Foundation, and executive director and chief people, transformation and sustainability officer, HUL.