What are the different ways to conserve water?

The importance of oil in today's world cannot be undermined. It is an important resource for fuelling growth in economies around the world. But there is another equally precious resource whose availability has been taken for granted. Because this resource is freely available, not enough thought has been given to conserving it. The resource we are talking about is water. Take the findings of Water Resources Group (WRG), a consortium of private-sector companies formed to tackle water scarcity. It pointed to a global gap of 40% between the supply and demand for water by 2030. This is assuming business remains as usual. And this scarcity is more pronounced in India and China. Because the water is not enough to cater to the needs of their ever growing population as well as industries. In India particularly, agriculture consumes 90% of the water in the country. Plus, it is the means of livelihood for nearly 60% of the country's population. Thus, unless serious efforts are not made to address this issue, most of India's river basins could face a severe water deficit. India also has to contend with sharing rivers not just with Pakistan but also within its states. This has already created many tensions in the past. Oil, its availability and prices have increasingly grabbed the headlines in recent times. At the same time, there have also been efforts around the world to focus on alternate sources of energy and reduce the dependence on this black gold. The same cannot be said for water. In India especially, where agriculture still plays a very crucial role, the government will have to take the necessary steps to harvest water and improve irrigation techniques. Indeed, there have been wars fought over oil. One does not want the same scenario played out over water.