“The Indian media should brace up its reporting on the coverage of water scarcity. It is only vernacular dailies that are reporting such issues,” said senior journalist Bajinder Pal Singh, while speaking at a seminar-“Water Crisis and Role of Media in People’s Movement-organised by the local chapter of the Indian Media Centre at ICSSR Complex, Panjab University (PU), on Sunday.

“Water makes news when there is disease, drought, floods or late monsoons. Otherwise, it is relegated to a corner,” Bajinder said, while contrasting the Australian newspapers that have to their credit 80,000 reports, features and articles on water shortage published in average span of four months.

Dwelling on water issues, R K Srinivasan from the Centre for Science and Environment said the scarcity is more “hyped” than real.

“There are abundant water sources available, but, the indifference in its management has led to shortage. Ideas like rainwater harvesting will go a long way in maintaining natural water resources,” said Srinivasan, while adding that there has been a dip of 16 metres in the groundwater table in northern sectors of the city over the last 15 years.

Former PU vice-chancellor Prof K N Pathak, while delivering the inaugural address, said that bureaucratic inertia and societal indifference are the main reasons for water scarcity.