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Q76 (IAS/2023) Environment & Ecology › Pollution & Conservation › Water conservation measures Official Key

Consider the following statements : Statement-I : According to the United Nations' World Water Development Report, 2022', India extracts more than a quarter of the world's groundwater withdrawal each year. Statement-II : India needs to extract more than a quarter of the world's groundwater each year to satisfy the drinking water and sanitation needs of almost 18% of world's population living in its territory. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: C
Explanation

The correct answer is Option 3 because Statement-I is a factual data point from the UN report, while Statement-II misrepresents the primary driver of groundwater extraction in India.

  • Statement-I is correct: According to the United Nations’ World Water Development Report 2022, India is the largest user of groundwater globally, extracting approximately 251 cubic kilometers annually. This constitutes more than 25% (a quarter) of the total global groundwater withdrawal.
  • Statement-II is incorrect: While India does support about 18% of the world's population, the vast majority of its groundwater extraction—roughly 89% to 90%—is utilized for agriculture and irrigation (to ensure food security), not for drinking water and sanitation. Domestic and industrial sectors account for only a small fraction (about 5-10%) of the total usage.

Therefore, while the extraction volume mentioned in Statement-I is accurate, the reason provided in Statement-II is false as it ignores the dominant role of the irrigation sector in groundwater depletion.

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Q. Consider the following statements : Statement-I : According to the United Nations' World Water Development Report, 2022', India extracts…
At a glance
Origin: Mixed / unclear origin Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 3.3/10 · 0/10
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This question is a classic 'Data vs. Usage' trap. While Statement I tests a famous statistic often cited in UN reports and Economic Surveys (India = ~25% global GW extraction), Statement II tests your fundamental NCERT knowledge of 'Water Utilization by Sector'. The trap lies in attributing the massive extraction to 'drinking water' rather than the actual culprit: agriculture.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
According to the United Nations World Water Development Report 2022, does India extract more than a quarter (>25%) of the world's annual groundwater withdrawal?
Origin: Weak / unclear Fairness: Borderline / guessy
Indirect textbook clues
INDIA PEOPLE AND ECONOMY, TEXTBOOK IN GEOGRAPHY FOR CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 4: Water Resources > Water Resources of India > p. 41
Strength: 4/5
“India accounts for about 2.45 per cent of the world's surface area, 4 per cent of the world's water resources and more than 17 per cent of the world's population. The total water available from precipitation in the country in a year is about 4,000 cubic km. The availability from surface water and replenishable groundwater is 1,869 cubic km. Out of this, only 60 per cent can be put to beneficial uses. Thus, the total utilisable water resource in the country is only 1,122 cubic km.”
Why relevant

Gives India's share of world surface area (2.45%), water resources (4%) and population (~17%), showing India has a much larger share of people than of renewable water resources.

How to extend

A student could combine the 17% population figure with global per‑capita water use data to judge whether India's withdrawals might be disproportionately large relative to its land/water share.

Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 3: The Drainage System of India > Government Strategy > p. 36
Strength: 4/5
“The total renewable water resources of India are estimated at about 1900 sq km per annum. It is predicted that by 2025 large parts of India will join countries or regions having absolute water scarcity. Groundwater has emerged as the prime source of drinking and irrigation. About 77% of present groundwater withdrawl is being used for irrigation purpose, thus contributing largely in food security of the country. The following steps have been taken by the government to implement the water harvesting programme: • 1. Since sustainability of drinking water-source is of paramount importance for smooth functioning of rural water supply, 25% out of 20% of the allocation under Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme (ARWSP) has been earmarked exclusively for water harvesting schemes to make implementation of such schemes mandatory.• 2.”
Why relevant

States that about 77% of present groundwater withdrawal in India is used for irrigation, indicating high dependence on groundwater for agriculture.

How to extend

One can use global irrigation water withdrawal proportions and India's large agricultural sector to estimate whether India's absolute groundwater withdrawal could be a large fraction of the world total.

Understanding Economic Development. Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 1: DEVELOPMENT > Example 1: Groundwater in India > p. 13
Strength: 3/5
“"Recent evidence suggests that the groundwater is under serious threat of overuse in many parts of the country. About 300 districts have reported a water level decline of over 4 metres during the past 20 years. Nearly one-third of the country is overusing their groundwater reserves. In another 25 years, 60 per cent of the country would be doing the same if the present way of using this resource continues. Groundwater overuse is particularly found in the agriculturally prosperous regions of Punjab and Western U.P., hard rock plateau areas of central and south India, some coastal areas and the rapidly growing urban settlements." • (a) Why groundwater is overused?• (b) Can there be development without overuse?”
Why relevant

Describes widespread groundwater overuse (one‑third of country overusing, many districts with large declines), pointing to intensive and growing groundwater extraction.

How to extend

Combine evidence of overexploitation with India’s population/agricultural area to infer that withdrawals may be large and rising compared with other countries.

INDIA PEOPLE AND ECONOMY, TEXTBOOK IN GEOGRAPHY FOR CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 4: Water Resources > Demand of Water for Irrigation > p. 44
Strength: 4/5
“In Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, more than 85 per cent of their net sown area is under irrigation. Wheat and rice are grown mainly with the help of irrigation in these states. Of the total net irrigated area 76.1 per cent in Punjab and 51.3 per cent in Haryana are irrigated through wells and tubewells. This shows that these states utilise large proportion of their groundwater potential which has resulted in groundwater depletion in these states. The over-use of groundwater resources has led to decline in groundwater table in these states. In fact, over withdrawals in some states, like Rajasthan and Maharashtra, has increased fluoride concentration in groundwater, and this practice has led to increase in concentration of arsenic in parts of West Bengal and Bihar.”
Why relevant

Provides state‑level data showing extremely high reliance on wells/tubewells in major irrigated states (e.g., Punjab 76.1% of irrigated area via wells), illustrating concentrated, intensive groundwater use.

How to extend

A student could map major groundwater‑intensive states (Punjab, Haryana, UP, etc.) against national irrigated area to approximate India’s large absolute groundwater withdrawal.

Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 3: The Drainage System of India > Inland Water Resources of India > p. 33
Strength: 3/5
“In terms of exploitation of ground water potential, Punjab comes on top (about 94%) followed by Haryana (84%), Tamil Nadu (61%), Rajasthan (51%), Gujarat (42%), Uttar Pradesh (38%), Maharashtra (31%), West Bengal (25%), and Andhra Pradesh (24%). States like Assam, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, and Bihar have not been able to utilise even 20% of their total ground water potential. The maximum reserves of the ground water are accounted by the Indo-Gangetic and Brahmaputra plains (Table 3.6) and peninsular region also offers potential for the exploitation of the ground water resource in India.”
Why relevant

Lists percentages of groundwater potential exploited by key states (e.g., Punjab ~94%, Haryana 84%), indicating near‑maximal extraction in important agricultural regions.

How to extend

Using these high exploitation rates in populous/agricultural states, a student could infer that India's per‑area withdrawal is high and consider that this may push India’s share of global withdrawal upward.

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