Resource information
India is the largest groundwater user in
the world, with an estimated usage of around 230 cubic
kilometers per year, more than a quarter of the global
total. With more than 60 percent of irrigated agriculture
and 85 percent of drinking water supplies dependent on it,
groundwater is a vital resource for rural areas in India.
Reliance of urban and industrial waste supplies on
groundwater is also becoming increasingly significant in
India. Through the construction of millions of private
wells, there has been a phenomenal growth in the
exploitation of groundwater in the last five decades. The
potential social and economic consequences of continued weak
or nonexistent groundwater management are serious, as
aquifer depletion is concentrated in many of the most
populated and economically productive areas. The
implications are disturbing for attainment of the millennium
development goals, for sustaining economic growth and local
livelihoods, and for environmental and fiscal
sustainability. The consequences will be most severe for the
poor. Furthermore, climate change will put additional stress
on groundwater resources; while at the same time will have
an unpredictable impact on groundwater recharge and availability.
