Analysis | Why The Water Crisis In Chhattisgarh Should Be A National Concern
Chhattisgarh receives plenty of rainfall and has more forests compared to other states. Despite it, the state is facing the issue of water scarcity
Published : April 13, 2026 at 8:54 PM IST
As April begins, rivulets, creeks, and rivers are already running dry in Chhattisgarh. Jaspur, Balaram, Ambikapur, Surajpur, etc., are all reporting water scarcity. Now, what makes the problem very alarming is that Chhattisgarh receives plenty of rainfall and has more forests compared to other states, yet water shortages are increasing.
Each year, due to illegal deforestation, industrial pollution, encroachment, and illegal construction, water availability is drastically plummeting. So, it’s a classic case of plenty yet scarcity.
So, let's get the facts: the average rainfall in Chhattisgarh is between 1,200 mm and 1,400 mm (approx. 50–55 inches). The state has a tropical monsoon climate, with 80–85% of its total rainfall occurring during the southwest monsoon season, primarily from June to September.
Chhattisgarh, as a state, receives moderate rainfall when compared to other states. But it still has much more rainfall than states like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab, and Haryana. Yet Chhattisgarh faces water scarcity like the states mentioned above, which are in the low rainfall zone.
Whereas, in terms of forest area, Chhattisgarh is 3rd when it comes to the forested area in India, far ahead of water-scarce states like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, etc. Keep in mind that forest areas are vital for creating microclimatic zones that bring rainfall, and also the forest plays a big role in ensuring the water is held in the soil and released over time into creeks and rivulets. So, the question now lies: why are Chhattisgarh’s rivers not annual? And why is Chhattisgarh a water-scarce state?
The state is gifted with many natural resources and biodiversity, which is a blessing. But Chattisgarh's case is turning out to be a curse. The first aspect of this curse comes in the form of illegal deforestation. Whether for creating mines or illegal mining, forests are the first victims. The timber mafia in the region has been active for a long time, cutting old trees in huge quantities.
With no official strictness in the matter or punishment for the timber mafia, now the common people have dared to start deforestation for private profit. Even the tribals who were once the protectors of the forests have started to cut trees and start forest fires in the summer months to cut more trees and evade authorities. Even rare trees, sacred trees, and biodiversity are being cut down for illegal sale, without any checks. This was not the case a few decades ago.
As the forests and trees are disappearing, so is the water and microclimates. Chhattisgarh has a massive legal and illegal deforestation problem because it has come to a stage where the local people themselves have severed their connection to forests and water in exchange for money. Deforestation is causing flood-like situations to emerge during monsoon months, with overflowing rivers and creeks, and the erosion of fertile soils from the mountains and forests into the rivers and then the sea. This is a bad sign for the overall health of Chhattisgarh.
The second biggest problem is encroachment. Due to the shrinking of water channels like creeks and rivulets, etc., people have started to encroach on the river area. Most of the floodplains and waterways of the rivers and creeks have major encroachment on them. These are mostly farmers who have taken a part of the river, blocked it, and converted it into a seasonal paddy field. Meanwhile, urban counterparts have encroached on dried river beds and built houses.
The previous government aided this encroachment by introducing a law through which individuals could get registrations for illegally captured forest or government land and pay compensation to the government. This was the biggest blunder committed by the Chhattisgarh government. As a result, all land that was on dried waterways was easily captured and also regularised. This has done a great disservice to the river systems of Chhattisgarh and is against the Supreme Court ruling that prevents construction on floodplains and river beds.
Following the illegal encroachments came the illegal constructions, which have also occupied the dried river and creek beds. Urban populations are expanding rapidly in Chhattisgarh with the influx of new workers. The cities of Chhattisgarh were never designed to cater to these heavy urban settlements. Due to the oversaturation of urban populations, all the natural catchment and water pathways into the urban centres were constructed upon. Even old ponds now lie sedimented and constructed up. The spread of concrete has also stopped the water from seeping into the ground.
Finally, Chhattisgarh is also a state which has a large number of industries. It houses major mines and also industries like iron, aluminium to power production. These industries no doubt have a heavy polluting nature and are responsible for contamination of the local water and air. Even major towns like Bilaspur, Raipur, Raigarh, etc., are not free from pollution.
The heavy industries are also responsible for water pollution, which is reducing the availability of water. Now, why does this concern India? Chhattisgarh is the origin point for major river systems like Mahanadi, Indravati and provides the catchment area of Godavari and Narmada. If, due to the reasons mentioned above, the water level decreases, the flow of these rivers will also be hampered, affecting large tracts of land downstream.
Secondly, Chhattisgarh is largely forested, but that is shifting now towards deforestation. Alongside this shift, the ecological consciousness of society is also negatively changing. This is a very bad indicator, because it represents the final stage of the ecological cancer.
Forest protectors are now exchanging environmental values and resources for money. And if Chhattisgarh society is behaving this way, imagine where other states are? Has ecological consciousness completely declined in our country?
Now, if the government wants to make amends, first it needs to launch a state-wide mapping of river systems and water ecosystems. Each district under the District Collector should be empowered and financially incentivised to map all the existing rivers, creeks, rivulets, and create a district water map. Local land revenue officials should be used for this exercise. All the sources or origin points of the river systems, along with the catchment area, should be demarcated.
Next, the new data should be compared with remote sensing data from at least 25 years ago, or the latest available data, to find out about the decay and encroachment of water systems. Once all the maps are in and data set comparisons have been made, the government needs to notify the river systems in each district. A strict no-construction policy should be introduced in these areas.
The step-by-step process highlights at least five main tributaries or main creeks that make up a river, and then ensures that all encroachment on them is removed. Where people have constructed houses on dried river beds, they should be relocated. An aggressive forestation drive should be started with local biodiversity trees like Sekua, Arjun, Sita Ashok, and water-reviving trees like Baaz or Sahj, to reestablish the natural cycles of water rejuvenation.
To increase people’s participation, the government needs to have financial incentives for agro-forestry or horticulture crops and organic farming alongside the banks of the rivers and creeks. This way, the government and people both benefit, and ecology works with the agrarian economy and not against it. This is about time that Chhattisgarh leads ecologically and also represents a model for water and biodiversity rejuvenation that can be emulated by other states. In the process of this ecological goal, state policy makers will safeguard its own forests, water and society.
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of ETV Bharat)
