In another 35 years we will be forced to import drinking water.This is due to the fast-depleting groundwater stock that is expected to reduce to 3,120 litres per day a person by then.
Data shows that today going by 2001 figures the daily per capita groundwater availability in the country has come down to 5,120 litres, about 35 percent of the 14,180 litres in 1951. In 1991, it was less than half of the 1951 stock. And by 2025, it is projected that the daily per capita availability will be just 25 percent of the base year.
And the figures from a Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) study warn of a reduction to 22 percent by 2050, going by the present rate of exploitation of groundwater.
The depleting water beneath your feet is an indication of vanishing rainwater harvesting with ponds, lakes and wells, poor awareness, and reduced green cover.
Going by the fast-growing population and their increasing demands, the day may not be far when per person availability dips to the actual use.