Water Scarcity and Groundwater Depletion in India
Geography
- PYQs2
- Articles1
Background
Crucial for food security, public health, economic stability, climate change adaptation, and inter-state relations. Highlights the need for sustainable resource management and policy reform.
India faces a severe and escalating water crisis, characterized by extreme water stress, rapidly declining per capita water availability, and unsustainable groundwater extraction, exacerbated by climate change and agricultural policies.
Facts & tables
- Population vs. Freshwater
- 18% of global population on just 4% of its freshwater
- Per Capita Water Availability
- Projected 1,446 cubic metres by 2031 (down from 5,000 at Independence)
- Groundwater Extraction
- Largest extractor globally (247.22 billion cubic metres annually, ~1/4th of all global extraction)
- Regional Over-extraction
- Punjab extracts 156.36% of annual recharge
| Type | Reference |
|---|---|
| Conceptual area | Agricultural Policies & Supply Chains |
| Conceptual area | Climate Change & Conventions |
| Body | Role |
|---|---|
| Niti Aayog | Predicts |
Prelims angle
Prelims angle: Multi-statement analysis
Prelims angle: Factual recall
- India supports 18% global population with 4% freshwater.
- Per capita water availability projected to fall to 1,446 m³ by 2031.
- Largest groundwater extractor globally (247.22 billion m³/year).
- MSP for water-hungry crops (e.g., paddy in Punjab) exacerbates depletion.
- Climate change impacts monsoon patterns, leading to extreme events.
| Year | Framing tags |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall |
| 2017 | Multi-statement analysis, Conceptual understanding |
Timeline
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Agricultural Policies & Supply Chains
Conceptual area
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Climate Change & Conventions
Conceptual area
-
Prelims 2017
Multi-statement analysis, Conceptual understanding
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Prelims 2024
Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall
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Environmental catastrophe will be a tragedy authored by everyone
India is grappling with a severe water crisis marked by extreme scarcity, rapidly falling per capita availability, and unsustainable groundwater extraction, driven by agricultural policies and climate change impacts on monsoon patterns.
See also
No related topics linked yet.
In the news
Environmental catastrophe will be a tragedy authored by everyone
India is grappling with a severe water crisis marked by extreme scarcity, rapidly falling per capita availability, and unsustainable groundwater extraction, driven by agricultural policies and climate change impacts on monsoon patterns.
Try these PYQs
Consider the following information:
| Waterfall | Region | River |
|--|--|--|
|1. Dhuandhar | Malwa |Narmada|
|2. Hundru | Chota Nagpur | Subarnarekha|
|3. Gersoppa | Western Ghats | Netravati|
In how many of the above rows is the given information correctly matched?
* Dhuandhar: This waterfall is located on the Narmada River, but the region is not Malwa. It is in Madhya Pradesh Mahakoshal region. Hence, pair 1 is incorrectly matched. * Hundru: This waterfall is indeed located on the Subarnarekha River within the Chota Nagpur Plateau. Hence, pair 2 is correctly matched. * Gersoppa (also known as Jog Falls): This waterfall is on the Sharavati River in the Western Ghats, not the Netravati River. Hence, pair 3 is incorrectly matched.
With reference to ‘Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD)’ sometimes mentioned in the news while forecasting Indian monsoon, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. IOD phenomenon is characterized by a difference in sea surface temperature between tropical Western Indian Ocean and tropical Eastern Pacific Ocean.
2. An IOD phenomenon can influence El Nino’s impact on the monsoon.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Statement 1 is Incorrect: The IOD phenomenon is characterised by a difference in sea surface temperature between the tropical Western Indian Ocean and the tropical Eastern Indian Ocean, not the Eastern Pacific Ocean. During a positive IOD, the western Indian Ocean is warmer than the eastern Indian Ocean, and vice versa for a negative IOD. Statement 2 is Correct: The IOD phenomenon can indeed influence El Nio's impact on the Indian monsoon. El Nio itself is a climate pattern in the Pacific Ocean, but it can interact with the IOD. Depending on the phases of both phenomena (positive/negative IOD and El Nino/La Nina), the overall impact on the Indian monsoon rainfall can be amplified or weakened. Hence, option B is the correct answer.