Water Resources In India| Class 12 Geography Notes
Last Updated : 17 Apr, 2025
Water is a crucial natural resource for human survival and development, essential for various purposes. However, India faces the challenge of uneven distribution of water resources across different regions.
Water Resources In India
India possesses approximately 2.45% of the world's surface area, 4% of its water resources, and sustains about 16% of the global population. Annually, the country receives around 4,000 cubic km of water through precipitation, with 1,869 cubic km available from surface water and replenishable groundwater. However, only 60% of this water can be utilized, resulting in a total utilizable water resource of 1,122 cubic km.
Surface Water Resources
India's surface water sources include rivers, lakes, ponds, and tanks. With over 10,360 rivers and their tributaries longer than 1.6 km each, the mean annual flow in all river basins and lakes has formed. Notably, states like Kerala, Odisha, and West Bengal boast extensive surface water resources, primarily in lagoons and lakes, despite their brackish nature.
Water Demand and Utilization
Traditionally, India's economy has been agrarian, with about two-thirds of its population dependent on agriculture. Consequently, irrigation development to enhance agricultural production has been prioritized, leading to the implementation of multipurpose river valley projects like Bhakra-Nangal and Hirakud. Currently, irrigation accounts for the majority of water usage, with agriculture utilizing 89% of surface water and 92% of groundwater.
Demand for Water in Agriculture
The agricultural sector dominates water usage due to the variability in rainfall across the country, especially in regions like northwestern India and the Deccan plateau, which experience dry seasons. Irrigation becomes indispensable in such areas to ensure agricultural productivity, particularly for water-intensive crops like rice, sugarcane, and jute.
Groundwater Resources
India's replenishable groundwater resources total about 432 cubic km, with high utilization rates observed in regions like Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu. However, states such as Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Kerala utilize only a fraction of their groundwater potential. Nonetheless, if the current trend continues, the demand for water is projected to surpass available supplies, potentially leading to developmental setbacks and social disruptions.
Emerging Water Challenges
India faces declining per capita water availability due to population growth, compounded by pollution from industrial, agricultural, and domestic sources. This pollution threatens the usability of available water resources, with notable examples being the pollution of the Ganga and Yamuna rivers.
Water Conservation and Management
Given the declining availability of freshwater and increasing demand, effective water conservation measures are imperative for sustainable development. These measures include the development of water-saving technologies, pollution prevention, and irrigation management. Additionally, there's a need to address the overuse of groundwater resources, which has led to declining groundwater tables and increased contamination in some regions like West Bengal and Bihar.
Conclusion
Addressing water pollution and implementing sustainable water conservation and management practices are essential to ensure the availability and equitable distribution of this vital resource in India. The government plays a crucial role in water management through policy, regulation, and infrastructure development.