Given the precarious condition of its ground and surface water resources such as rivers, streams, lakes, wetlands and reservoirs, India could be a water-scarce country in the next 40 years. With 1,486 cubic metres (about 1.5 million litres) of water available per person per annum, India falls in the water-stressed category; a dip below 1000 cubic metres per person per annum will push it into the water-scarce category.
The manner of water consumption compounds the problem. Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) statistics show that indiscriminate use of ground water turned 4% of the total 7,089 assessed units critical in 2022, while 14% were assessed as over-exploited; the situation was worse in 2017 when 17% of the units were over-exploited. Recharge and conservation efforts have borne fruit, but such units remain high in Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
In India, 87% of groundwater is extracted for irrigation, and experts say excess year-round withdrawal may be the biggest reason for depletion, since recharge happens mainly in the monsoon. Encroachment of water bodies and the discharge of untreated waste water into rivers and streams have further reduced surface water resources.
In the year 2022 how many units of water assessed by CGWB were found to be over-exploited?
About 992 units were over-exploited in 2022, so the answer is about 992.
The passage states that 14% of the assessed units were over-exploited in 2022.
The total number of assessed units was 7,089.
So the over-exploited count is 14% of 7,089, which is 7089 times 0.14.
That product is about 992 units.
The value 283 confuses this with the 4% of units rated critical in 2022.
The values 1276 and 1006 do not match 14% of 7,089 and are distractors.
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