The Jal Shakti ministry has done well to put together a comprehensive inventory of the country’s water resources by conducting the first ever census of water bodies. It would serve as a valuable guide for better management of this critical, albeit renewable, natural resource. As pointed out by the ministry, this data has been compiled at a time when the country is gradually progressing towards water scarcity due to increasing population pressure and urbanisation — India supports 18 per cent of the world’s population with only 4 per cent of global water resources — but this contention is not incontrovertible. The truth is that India is not an inherently water-stressed country. The scarcity has been created by its imprudent and inefficient management and use. The country’s average annual water receipt, including rain and snow, is around 120 cm, which is far higher than the global average of 100 cm.