Consider the following statements: Statement-I: According to the United Nations World Water Developm

Question

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 the world's population living in its territory. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Accepted Answer

According to the United Nations World Water Development Report, 2022, India accounts for nearly 26% of groundwater abstracted globally. The Asia-Pacific region is the largest groundwater abstractor in the world, containing seven out of the ten countries that extract most groundwater:BangladeshChinaIndiaIndonesiaIranPakistanTurkeyThese countries alone account for roughly 60% of the world’s total groundwater withdrawal. Hence, statement 1 is correct.India, as the largest groundwater user globally, at an estimated 251 km³ per year abstracted, uses 89% of its groundwater abstraction for irrigation. The report says that reduced electricity tariffs or free electricity to agriculture, as exist in many Indian states, coupled with assured state or government procurement of crops, encourage farmers to grow water-intensive crops, such as sugarcane, including in semi-arid regions with low natural recharge. This is responsible for unprecedented groundwater depletion in large parts of India. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.Hence, option (c) is the correct answer.