WATER planning in India has been on an unsustainable path for centuries. In the 16th century, Mughal Emperor Akbar decided to build a new capital in Fatehpur Sikri (City of Victory). In 1589, Robert Fitch, one of the earliest English travellers to India, noted that Agra and Fatehpur Sikri were "two great cities, either of them much greater than London and more populous".

The history of the new capital was not so auspicious. Emperor Akbar used it only for 13 years and then abandoned it to return to his old capital permanently. The main reason was very severe water scarcity.

Fatehpur Sikri is a magnificent monument to India's poor water planning. Over the centuries India's water planning has improved incrementally whereas its drivers of water use have increased exponentially, making its water situation worsen steadily with time.