Survival: The Life in a Drop

Water is a prism through which South Asia’s past, present, and future can be understood

• It binds religious rituals, sustains economies, fuels poetry, divides provinces, and carries both disease and healing. As climate change intensifies, water will become an even more contested and precious element.

By Abdullah Usman Morai | Sweden

Water as Culture, Crisis, and Connection

Water is more than a resource; it is memory, identity, power, prayer, and pain. In South Asia, water runs deeper than its physical presence in rivers, lakes, or rain. It flows through the region’s mythology, religions, economies, emotions, and daily routines. From the snow-fed Indus and Ganges to rain-harvesting wells in Rajasthan and Sindh, every drop carries centuries of civilization. Yet, today, this sacred element is caught in the tides of climate change, geopolitical tension, social inequality, and cultural transformation.

This article journeys through different perspectives of water in South Asia—culturally, religiously, socially, traditionally, emotionally, ecologically, and economically. Drawing from real case studies, it explores how water binds communities and yet divides them, nurtures life and yet is a site of struggle. A “Water Fair” organized with these diverse angles in mind would not only celebrate water but also raise essential questions about its future.

1. Cultural Reverence and Rivers as Storytellers

South Asian culture is shaped by rivers. The Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra, Yamuna, Ravi, and others have nurtured poetry, legends, and collective memory. In Sindh, for example, folk songs echo the rhythms of the Indus/ Sindhu, and Ajrak fabric is traditionally washed in its waters before being dried under the sun.

In Bangladesh, boat festivals, riverine weddings, and songs like “Bhatiali” reflect life along the water. In India, rivers like the Yamuna and Ganga have played central roles in epics like the Mahabharata and Ramayana.

A remarkable case is the “River March” in Maharashtra, where villagers walk to raise awareness about reviving dying rivers. These cultural movements not only preserve tradition but also engage younger generations in ecological dialogue.

2. Religion and the Sacredness of Water

Religions in South Asia assign spiritual significance to water. In Hinduism, water from the Ganges is believed to purify the soul. Rituals such as bathing in sacred rivers during Kumbh Mela draw millions. Islam emphasizes ablution (wudu), reinforcing the idea of water as a cleanser before prayer. In Sikhism, the Sarovar (sacred pool) at the Golden Temple is not only symbolic but also participatory.

The famous Pushkar Lake in Rajasthan is said to have been created by Lord Brahma, while the Zamzam Well in Makkah is revered across the Muslim world, including South Asia. Buddhist monasteries in Ladakh are often located near glacial springs, emphasizing harmony with nature.

In 2018, India legally recognized the Ganga and Yamuna rivers as “living entities” with rights, though this legal status was later overturned; it demonstrated a profound philosophical and legal recognition of water’s sanctity.

3. Social Realities: Inequality and Gendered Burdens

In South Asia, water access is a deeply social issue. It is shaped by caste, class, gender, and geography. In rural Rajasthan or Tharparkar, women walk miles daily to fetch water. A 2021 UNICEF report noted that South Asian women and girls spend up to 200 million hours daily collecting water.

In Karachi, water mafias charge slum residents for tanker water, while wealthier neighborhoods have piped access. In Chennai, India, the 2019 “Day Zero” crisis highlighted unequal urban water distribution, where gated communities had water delivered while low-income areas were parched.

Case Study: In Nepal’s hilly regions, women carry water in “gagris” on their backs from springs far below their homes. Projects like the Gravity-Fed Water System have eased burdens, but many villages still depend on seasonal availability.

4. Traditional Knowledge and Indigenous Practices

Before modern infrastructure, South Asians built complex systems of water management: stepwells (baolis), johads (earthen check dams), and ghats. These systems combined engineering with community ethos.

Case Study: In Gujarat, India, the 1,000-year-old Rani ki Vav stepwell is a UNESCO heritage site showcasing water engineering and aesthetic brilliance. In Sindh, ancient Persian wheels and community-managed canals reflect how water was shared equitably.

In Sri Lanka, the ancient Sinhalese irrigation systems used tanks and canals to optimize monsoon waters. Reviving these traditions through community-led efforts can enhance both sustainability and heritage.

5. Ecological Crisis: Rivers in Peril

Pollution, damming, encroachment, and plastic waste are choking South Asia’s water bodies. The Yamuna River in Delhi resembles a drain, filled with foam and industrial runoff. Pakistan’s Manchhar Lake, once Asia’s largest freshwater lake, has shrunk due to pollution and agricultural runoff.

The Indus Delta has been shrinking, causing saline intrusion and ruining farmland. Wetlands like Chilika in Odisha and Keenjhar Lake in Sindh are facing threats due to climate and human pressure.

Case Study: Bangladesh’s Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest in the world, is experiencing salinity rise, threatening freshwater availability and unique flora and fauna, including the Bengal tiger.

Efforts like the “Namami Gange” program in India or community-led cleaning of the Ravi in Lahore indicate a growing realization, but the pace is slow compared to the damage.

6. Transport and Livelihood: Water as Economy

For millions, water is a livelihood. In Bangladesh, over 700,000 boatmen operate along its 700 rivers. In Pakistan, canal irrigation supports agriculture across Punjab and Sindh. Fisherfolk in the Indus and Brahmaputra deltas depend entirely on river health.

Case Study: In Kerala, India, backwaters support not only fishing and farming but also tourism. Houseboats and water taxis offer eco-friendly transport.

Yet, livelihoods are threatened by overfishing, pollution, and decreasing river flows. The construction of dams upstream often leaves downstream communities vulnerable.

7. Emotional and Psychological Connection

Water is emotional memory. For many in South Asia, rivers are associated with childhood swims, prayers, and family picnics. The loss of a local pond or riverbank changes the social fabric.

Case Study: In Punjab, elderly residents recall playing by now-dry canals, noting the loneliness of modern landscapes. In Kashmir, the shrinking Dal Lake reflects not just environmental loss but cultural erosion.

Films, literature, and songs mourn vanishing waters. Gulzar’s poems, for instance, often use rivers as metaphors for relationships and change. In Rabindranath Tagore’s works, rivers often symbolize the journey of life.

8. Conflict and Cooperation: The Politics of Water

The Indus Waters Treaty (1960) between India and Pakistan has withstood wars, but is under strain due to new dams and political mistrust. Recently, there have been serious allegations that India violated the spirit of the treaty by accelerating dam construction on western rivers. This has heightened concerns in Pakistan over reduced downstream flows into Sindh and Balochistan.

Internally, provinces in Pakistan and states in India fight over river water. In 2024–25, a major conflict arose when the Punjab province of Pakistan planned to build new canals from the Indus River. Sindh opposed the move, citing historical water rights and ecological damage. Demonstrations erupted across Sindh, leading to road blockades and political unrest.

The Teesta water-sharing issue between India and Bangladesh remains unresolved. The Cauvery dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka is a recurring flashpoint.

Case Study: The Kalabagh Dam debate in Pakistan reflects fears of water control and provincial dominance. Sindh and Balochistan argue it would reduce their share, causing agricultural and ecological loss.

Yet, water diplomacy also offers hope. Regional cooperation platforms like SAARC could promote shared water management, though political will is often lacking.

A Drop of Hope, A Call for Action

Water is a prism through which South Asia’s past, present, and future can be understood. It binds religious rituals, sustains economies, fuels poetry, divides provinces, and carries both disease and healing. As climate change intensifies, water will become an even more contested and precious element.

A “Water Fair”—as an educational, cultural, and policy event—can serve as a space to reflect on this complexity. Through storytelling, science, art, and activism, such an initiative can restore not just rivers and lakes, but the emotional and cultural bonds that water once so effortlessly carried.

In reimagining water, we must remember that every drop holds a history, a right, and a responsibility. And only when we honor water in all its dimensions can we ensure that it continues to nurture life for generations to come.

Read: Observe More, Judge Less

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Abdullah Soomro, penname Abdullah Usman Morai, hailing from Moro town of Sindh, province of Pakistan, is based in Stockholm Sweden. Currently he is working as Groundwater Engineer in Stockholm Sweden. He did BE (Agriculture) from Sindh Agriculture University Tando Jam and MSc water systems technology from KTH Stockholm Sweden as well as MSc Management from Stockholm University. Beside this he also did masters in journalism and economics from Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur Mirs, Sindh. He is author of a travelogue book named ‘Musafatoon’. His second book is in process. He writes articles from time to time.