Explain why the issue of sustainability of development has become important in the modern world. Support your answer with evidence related to groundwater usage in India.
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-26 13:21 · grounding rag
Model Answer
Sustainability of development means that development in the present should not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
Evidence from Groundwater Usage in India:
- About 300 districts have reported a water table decline of over 4 metres in the past 20 years.
- Nearly one-third of India is already overusing groundwater reserves.
- If this continues, 60% of the country will face groundwater overuse within 25 years.
- Overuse is high in agriculturally prosperous regions like Punjab and Western U.P.
Groundwater is a renewable resource, but if extraction exceeds natural replenishment by rain, it gets depleted. This shows current development patterns are unsustainable and threaten future generations.
Source: Chapter 1 — Sustainability of Development
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Explanation
- Examiners expect a definition of sustainability followed by specific data points from the groundwater example — not vague statements.
- Mention the 300 districts, one-third overusing, and the 60% projection — these are the scoring facts.
- Briefly link groundwater to the concept of renewable resource overuse to show conceptual understanding.
- The quote "we have borrowed it from our children" can also be used to open the answer for impact.