Total water requirements

Total water requirements

    • The total annual requirement of water for various sectors has been estimated and its break up is given in Table 2.2.
    • With the increasing population as well as all round development in the country, the utilization of water has also been increasing at a fast pace.
    • In 1951, the actual utilization of surface water was about 20 per cent and 10 per cent in the case of groundwater.
    • The utilizable water in river basins is highly uneven.
    • For example in the Brahmaputra basin, which contributes 629 billion m3 of surface water of the country’s total flow, only 24 billion m3 is utilizable.
    Table 2.2. Annual water requirement for different uses (in km3)

    Use Year
    1997-1998
    Year 2010 Year 2025 Year 2050
    Low High % Low High % Low High %
    Surface water
    Irrigation 318 330 339 48 325 366 43 375 463 39
    Domestic 17 23 24 3 30 36 5 48 65 6
    Industries 21 26 26 4 47 47 6 57 57 5
    Power 7 14 15 2 25 26 3 50 56 5
    Inland navigation
    7 7 1 10 10 1 15 15 1
    Environment-Ecology
    5 5 1 10 10 1 20 20 2
    Evaporation losses 36 42 42 6 50 50 6 76 76 6
    Total 399 447 458 65 497 545 65 641 752 64
    Groundwater
    Irrigation 206 213 218 31 236 245 29 253 344 29
    Domestic 13 19 19 2 25 26 3 42 46 4
    Industries 9 11 11 1 20 20 2 24 24 2
    Power 2 4 4 1 6 7 1 13 14 1
    Total 230 247 252 35 287 298 35 332 428 36
    Grand total 629 694 710 100 784 843 100 973 1180 100
    Total water use
    Irrigation 524 543 557 78 561 611 72 628 807 68
    Domestic 30 42 43 6 55 62 7 90 111 9
    Industries 30 37 37 5 67 67 8 81 81 7
    Power 9 18 19 3 31 33 4 63 70 6
    Inland navigation 0 7 7 1 10 10 1 15 15 1
    Environment-Ecology 0 5 5 1 10 10 1 20 20 2
    Evaporation losses 36 42 42 6 50 50 6 76 76 7
    Total

    629

    694

    710

    100

    784

    843

    100

    973

    1180

    100


Last modified: Friday, 16 March 2012, 6:52 PM