Question

The total utilizable water resources of India is...........BCM

• A. 433
• B. 690
• C. 1123
• D. 1869

Hint:

Remember this water budget breakdown for India:
- Total precipitation: \(\approx 4000 \text{ BCM}\)
- Average annual potential: \(\approx 1869 \text{ BCM}\)
- Total utilizable water: \(\approx 1123 \text{ BCM}\)
- Utilizable Surface water: \(\approx 690 \text{ BCM}\)
- Utilizable Groundwater: \(\approx 433 \text{ BCM}\)

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
India's water resources are assessed in terms of average annual precipitation, surface water potential, and utilizable water resources.
Due to topographical, physiological, and environmental constraints, only a portion of the total available water can be put to beneficial use.
This is termed as the total "utilizable" water resource, expressed in Billion Cubic Meters (BCM).

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let us understand the distribution of India's water resources:
- The average annual precipitation in India is estimated to be about \(4000 \text{ BCM}\).
- Out of this, the average annual natural runoff in all the river basins of India is estimated to be \(1869 \text{ BCM}\).
- However, due to several geographical and geological constraints, the total utilizable water resources is much less, standing at \(1123 \text{ BCM}\).
This utilizable water is composed of two main components:
1. Utilizable Surface Water Resources: Approximately \(690 \text{ BCM}\).
2. Replenishable Groundwater Resources: Approximately \(433 \text{ BCM}\).
Adding these two components yields the total utilizable water resources:
\[ 690 \text{ BCM} + 433 \text{ BCM} = 1123 \text{ BCM} \] Therefore, \(1123 \text{ BCM}\) is the maximum amount of water that can be realistically utilized for agricultural, domestic, industrial, and other purposes.

Step 3: Final Answer:
The total utilizable water resources of India is \(1123 \text{ BCM}\).