Water Resource in India: Considerable Empirical Evidence

Abstract

Water is one of the precious natural resource; each and every living thing needs water to survive. By the mid-twenty first century, surface temperature in India may increase by 30 C to 40 C, leading to noticeable variability in the monsoon pattern, decreased number of rainy days, and an increase in flooding and intensity of droughts. This will seriously affect the food grain production, environment and life sustaining ecosystems in India. India receives annual precipitation of about 4000Km, including snowfall. Out of this, monsoon rainfall is of the order of 3000Km. In this background, the study is based on secondary data sources. Average consumption around the world is about 53 liters per head per day. In India, we expect to soon have only about 20 liters available per head per day. We have had droughts for a long time, and now with global climate change, things will become even more difficult. The annual potential natural ground water recharge from rainfall in India is about 342.43Km, which is 8.56 percent of total rainfall of the country. The estimates indicate that by the year 2025, the water requirements are irrigation 561Km for low demand scenario and 611Km for high demand scenario. These requirements likely to further increase to 628Km for low demand scenario and 807Km for high demand scenario by 2050.Water resource management is a very important issue with regard to the conservation and the protection of water. This study concludes that government should come up with a new water policy prescribing the role and involvement of individuals, community and government for conservation of water.