There is no debate on the point that the water is an indispensible natural resource for human survival and development. Also, there is enough authoritative evidence to demonstrate that India is faced with a severe water
crisis: depleting water resources mainly ground water, pollution of water resources, rivers, ponds and aquifers, with fill impact of climate change in the forms of erratic rainfalls, floods and droughts. The rising population,unregulated use of irrigation for farming, lack of water conservation efforts and long term planning, instrumental view of water as a resources to be exploited are, among other, the major factors responsible for this crisis. Lack of safe drinking water in many parts of India’s rural and urban areas as well as crisis for irrigated farming threatens India’s water security and food security both. This a calls for new thinking on water sustainability, long term perspective on water management including conservation, use and recycling water resources and a participatory and holistic water governance in the country. This paper, besides introduction, is divided into three parts: analyzing
the nature of India’s water crisis, scope for water governance and finally the elements of new water governance in India.

Keywords: Water crisis; Groundwater depletion; Water security; Water sustainability; Water governance.