Environmental Science

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE : NATURAL RESOURCES 29

The total replenishable Ground Water Resources in the Country have been provisionally
estimated at 45.23 million hectares meters per year. Of this, 6.93 million hectares metres
is for drinking, industrial and other uses leaving 38.34 million hectares metres as utilisable
Ground Water Resources for Irrigation.

Basin-wise/State-wise break-up of the potential is given in the Table 2 (next page).

Over-utilization of Water

It transpires from our water budget that, in case average annual rainfall of entire
country and its total area are taken, the total water resources are of the order of 167 million
hectare meters. In fact, only 66 million-hectare meters of water can be utilised by us for
irrigation. As there are some financial and technological constraints we plant to use it fully
only by 2010 A.D. By 1951 only 9.7 million ha metre water was used for irrigation. By 1973
it was as much as 18.4 million ha metres.

It is observed that Agriculture sector is the major user of water. The water used for
irrigation which was two decades back nearly 40% has gone up to 73% by 2000 A.D. Irrigation
use is very inefficient. Hence, 25-30% efficiency and method of irrigation are to be changed
drastically. From the data on water use shown in the table given as under, it becomes
evident that irrigation including for livestock and including power use is 79.6% and 13.7%
water respectively. Thereafter, come domestic (3.5%) and industrial (3.3%) uses.

In case the land area is taken up as a unit, the position could be different. By 1984-
85 the land under irrigation almost tripled to 67.5 million ha.

Table 2.2

Water Use (India) 2000 A.D. (Available Water 1900 Million Cubic Metre Per Year)

Uses Taken Consumed Returned

Irrigation and 869 783 86

Livestock Power 150 5 145

Industry 35 10 25

Domestic 38 8 30

Total 1092 806 286

After a period of five years i.e. by 1990 another 13 million ha were to be brought under
irrigation, thus, the total figure was 80 million ha. This may be adjudged against the total
potential of 133 million ha by 2010 A.D. Here it may be kept in mind that it is the gross
sown area and not net sown area. The former i.e. net sown area at present, more than 3%
of the net sown area is under irrigation.

It is estimated by World Health Organization (WHO) that water thirsty countries are
across the oceans. Nordic water supply (Norwegian company) has been transporting fresh
water i.e. clean drinking water in giant floating bags across the oceans. These floating bags
are made long. Each contains 35,000 tonnes of water. The floating water bags are made of
a polyester plant to build new bags of the size of supertanker, 300 metres long and a
capacity of 1,00,000 tons water. In this way the Nordic company is engaged in the business