Theme: Agriculture | Can budgeting or equitable allocation help mitigate India's water crisis?

Over 160 million people in India lack access to safe drinking water, aggravated by extensive groundwater usage and contamination. One way we try avoiding this is by introducing budgeting exercises with the farmers, says Bishwadeep Ghose, Country Head, Water For People (WFP) India, in conversation with businessline’s Subramani Ra Mancombu, in this State of the Economy podcast.   The podcast starts off with Ghose elaborating on the complex nature of the crisis. He says that the issue is not only about the quantity but also the quality of water, with contaminants and arsenic posing significant health risks.  Agriculture is identified as a major consumer of water, utilising 70%-90% of the country’s water resources. The discussion goes on to highlight the dire situation for farmers, many of whom depend on monsoon rains for their crops. The unpredictability of rainfall due to climate change has made traditional farming practices impractical. He points out that both water scarcity and flooding present significant challenges, disrupting agricultural cycles and threatening food security.  Host: Subramani Ra Mancombu; Producer: Amitha Rajkumar ----- About the State of the Economy podcast  India’s economy has been hailed as a bright spot amid the general gloom that seems to have enveloped the rest of the world. But several sectors continue to stutter even as others seem set to fire on all cylinders. To help you make sense of the bundle of contradictions that the country is, businessline brings you podcasts with experts ranging from finance and marketing to technology and start-ups