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in India is estimated to be 1,869 cubic km. of lagoons and lakes have formed. The States However, due to topographical, hydrological like Kerala, Odisha and West Bengal have vast and other constraints, only about 690 cubic surface water resources in these lagoons and km (32 per cent) of the available surface water lakes. Although, water is generally brackish can be utilised. Water flow in a river depends in these water bodies, it is used for fishing and on size of its catchment area or river basin irrigating certain varieties of paddy crops, and rainfall within its catchment area. You coconut, etc. have studied in your Class XI textbook “India : Physical Environment” that precipitation in Water Demand and Utilisation India has very high spatial variation, and it is mainly concentrated in Monsoon season. You India has traditionally been an agrarian also have studied in the textbook that some economy, and about two-third of its of the rivers in the country like the Ganga, population have been dependent on agriculture. Hence, development of irrigation the Brahmaputra, and the Indus have huge to increase agricultural production has been catchment areas. Given that precipitation is relatively high in the catchment areas of the assigned a very high priority in the Five Year Ganga, the Brahmaputra and the Barak Plans, and multipurpose river valleys projects, rivers, these rivers, although account for only like the Bhakra-Nangal, Hirakud, Damodar Valley, Nagarjuna Sagar, Indira Gandhi Canal about one-third of the total area in the Project, etc., have been taken up. In fact, country, have 60 per cent of the total surface water resources. Much of the annual water India’s water demand at present is dominated flow in south Indian rivers like the Godavari, by irrigational needs. the Krishna, and the Kaveri has been Agriculture accounts for most of the surface and groundwater utilisation, it harnessed, but it is yet to be done in the Brahmaputra and the Ganga basins. accounts for 89 per cent of the surface water and 92 per cent of the groundwater utilisation. Groundwater Resources While the share of industrial sector is limited The total replenishable groundwater to 2 per cent of the surface water utilisation and 5 per cent of the ground-water, the share resources in the country are about 432 cubic km. The level of groundwater utilisation is of domestic sector is higher (9 per cent) in relatively high in the river basins lying in surface water utilisation as compared to north-western region and parts of south India. groundwater. The share of agricultural sector The groundwater utilisation is very high in total water utilisation is much higher than other sectors. However, in future, with in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu. However, there are States like development, the shares of industrial and Chhattisgarh,Odisha,Kerala,etc.,whichutilise domestic sectors in the country are likely to only a small proportion of their groundwater increase. potentials. States like Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Demand of Water for Irrigation Bihar, Tripura and Maharashtra are utilising theirgroundwaterresources at a moderate rate. In agriculture, water is mainly used for If the present trend continues, the demands irrigation. Irrigation is needed because of for water would need the supplies. And such situation, will be detrimental to development, spatio-temporal variability in rainfall in the country. The large tracts of the country are and can cause social upheaval and deficient in rainfall and are drought prone. disruptions. North-western India and Deccan plateau constitute such areas. Winter and summer Lagoons and Backwaters seasons are more or less dry in most part India has a vast coastline and the coast is very of the country. Hence, it is difficult to indented in some states. Due to this, a number practise agriculture without assured 42 India : People and Economy Reprint 2026-27