Groundwater is a renewable resource, yet many regions in India face severe groundwater depletion. Explain three major reasons for this depletion and suggest two measures to achieve sustainable groundwater management.
Answer
Groundwater depletion is caused by agricultural overuse, urban growth, and industrial demand; it can be managed through rainwater harvesting and water-efficient farming practices.
Step-by-step solution
- Step 1: Define groundwater as a renewable resource that gets replenished by rainfall, but can be depleted if extraction exceeds natural recharge rates.
- Step 2: State Reason 1 for depletion: Excessive extraction for agriculture through tube wells, especially for water-intensive crops like paddy and sugarcane in regions like Punjab and Western UP.
- Step 3: State Reason 2 for depletion: Rapid urbanization leads to increased domestic demand while concrete construction reduces the permeable ground surface available for rainwater recharge.
- Step 4: State Reason 3 for depletion: Growth of industries that require large volumes of water for manufacturing processes without adequate treatment and reuse.
- Step 5: Suggest Measure 1: Implementation of compulsory rainwater harvesting systems in urban and rural areas to enhance groundwater recharge.
- Step 6: Suggest Measure 2: Adoption of water-efficient irrigation systems such as drip and sprinkler irrigation alongside crop diversification away from water-intensive crops.
Common mistake: Mislabelling groundwater as a non-renewable resource instead of explaining that overuse exceeds its natural renewal rate.
Concept tested: Sustainability of development and groundwater depletion
Published · How this solution was prepared and checked
Related questions
- 1 Discuss two development strategies that the Indian government has adopted to promote inclusive growth. Explain how each strategy helps reduce poverty and inequality.
- 2 In 2015, India's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at current prices was ₹ 151 trillion and the population was 1.31 billion. By 2020, GDP rose to ₹ 210 trillion and population to 1.38 billion. Assuming inflation of 5 % per year, calculate the average annual growth rate of real per‑capita GDP over this period. Express your answer in percent, rounded to two decimal places.
- 3 Define sustainable development in one sentence.
- 4 A landless rural labourer and a prosperous farmer from Punjab have different development goals. Which of the following is most likely to be a primary development goal for a landless rural labourer?
- 5 Why is per capita income alone not a sufficient indicator of human development? State two reasons.
- 6 Ramu is a 20-year-old worker who weighs 40 kg and has a height of 1.60 m. Calculate his Body Mass Index (BMI) using the formula BMI = (Weight in kg)/(Height in m)^2, and state whether he is undernourished, normal, or overweight.