Q1. [5]
Table on water availability
An area is believed to be water stressed when annual water supplies drop below 1700 cubic metres per person per year. As per an analysis, we are already surviving with around 1700-1800 cubic metres per year. As our demand for water has increased drastically over the years, per capita water availability has taken a beating. Based on the given table, write an analytical paragraph, in about 120 words, analyzing the possible causes of water scarcity in the future.
Previously asked in CBSE board exam
2024 2/2/1 Q5(a)
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-15 07:14 · grounding stimulus
Model Answer
Water Scarcity: A Looming Crisis
The data clearly reveals an alarming inverse relationship between population growth and per capita water availability in India. In 1951, with a population of 361 million, water availability stood at 5177 m³/person/year. As population doubled to 846 million by 1991, availability more than halved to 2209 m³. By 2001, with over a billion people, it fell to 1820 m³ — dangerously close to the water stress threshold of 1700 m³.
The primary cause is rapid population growth, which increases demand for water in agriculture, industry, and domestic use. Projections for 2025 (1341 m³) and 2050 (1140 m³) confirm that without conservation measures, India will face severe water scarcity. Overexploitation, unequal distribution, and negligible increase in water resources worsen the crisis further.
Explanation
- Examiners expect you to analyse the table, not merely describe it — link population rise to falling per capita availability using specific figures.
- Mention the 1700 m³ stress threshold (given in the question) and compare it to actual/projected values.
- End with causes (population growth, overexploitation, rising demand) — this is what "analytical" means here.
- Keep sentences crisp; this is a 5-mark writing task, so one well-developed paragraph or two tight ones is ideal.
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