We know quite well that water is scarce. Many even imagine that a Third World War will be fought over water.

Nonetheless, the thought of taps running dry doesn't come naturally. There is a sense that such a day would arrive far into the future.

But maybe it is time to wake up - doomsday is likely just 10 years from now.

This alarming figure was emphasised in the last Parliament session, better known for stalled business and loud political speeches.

In the Question Hour, Sanwar Lal Jat, the junior minister for water resources, quoted a study by a private consulting firm that said India won't have enough water for its people by 2025.

The minister then quoted government figures from 1999 that project that it won't be so soon, but latest by 2050.

Either way, we are talking about most of our generation (and all of the next) hitting complete water scarcity.

Further, seeing the government's actual water availability numbers suggests that the minister's figures are optimistic.

For example, it considers that the Ganga is clean enough to directly use it. Devoid of such jaw-dropping assumptions, the picture is very grim.