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based on groundwater and 85% of rural drinking water comes from groundwater. Even
after all the major and medium irrigation projects (under construction and contemplated)
are implemented, a substantial part of irrigation (not far below 50%) will still depend on
groundwater.
A 1b
Pressure on natural resources due to population growth
Global population will continue to grow in the future, it is expected that there will be
increased pressure on the natural resource base. It is likely that the competition between
various stakeholders depending on natural resources would lead to conflicts and violence.
With a population that is 16% of the world’s, India has 2.45% of the world’s land resources
and 4% of its water resources. It is estimated that the annual usable water resources of
the country are 690 cu.km of surface water and 396 cu.km of groundwater, making a total
of 1,086 cu.km. The present quantum of use is put at around 600 cu.km. As a result of
population growth, it is estimated that the country will require about 973 to 1,180 cu.km of
water to meet its various needs. It is obvious that the supply would hardly match the
demand.
Growing population would also mean increased demand for food. With increasing
urbanization, food preference will also change, creating additional demand for food
production. Increase in demand can be met in three different ways viz; 1) increasing
agricultural yield; 2) increasing the area of arable land; and 3) increasing cropping intensity
(number of crops per year).
Over the past 30 years, most of the increase (69%) came from increase in yield, mainly
from the Green Revolution. While 12% increase came from cropping intensity, the rest
was from increase in the area of cultivated land. Therefore, it is inevitable to look at other
ways and means to increase food production. Alternative methods are: 1) improving irrigation
efficiency – currently less than 40%; 2) change the cropping pattern; 3) increasing the
productivity of rainfed agriculture; 4) improving drainage to reduce salinity; 5) using waste
water for irrigation and 6) storing more in the aquifers.
2