Read the following statements about water demand and utilisation in India carefully and identify the correct statements.
(A) Agriculture is the largest sector to utilise water for irrigation.
(B) Agriculture accounts for little less than 60% of surface water utilisation.
(C) Only 2% of surface water is utilised by industrial sector
(D) About 9% of surface water is utilised in domestic sector
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → (A), (C) and (D) only
India’s surface water is used by three sectors: agriculture, industry and households. India has long been a farming country, so most of its water goes to irrigation. The shares of the three sectors decide each statement.
(A) Agriculture is the largest sector to utilise water for irrigation. — Correct. India’s water demand is dominated by irrigational needs. Agriculture uses more surface water and more groundwater than all the other sectors put together.
(B) Agriculture accounts for little less than 60% of surface water utilisation. — Incorrect. Agriculture uses 89 per cent of the surface water, far more than 60 per cent. NTA changed the number in the book, and a true line became false. Read every word before you mark the answer.
(C) Only 2% of surface water is utilised by industrial sector — Correct. Industry takes only 2 per cent of the surface water (and 5 per cent of the groundwater). This share may grow as more industries come up.
(D) About 9% of surface water is utilised in domestic sector — Correct. The domestic sector uses 9 per cent of the surface water, more than industry does. Together, 89 + 2 + 9 make up the full 100 per cent.
NCERT (2026-27): “Water Demand and Utilisation … Agriculture accounts for most of the surface and groundwater utilisation, it accounts for 89 per cent of the surface water and 92 per cent of the groundwater utilisation. While the share of industrial sector is limited to 2 per cent of the surface water utilisation and 5 per cent of the ground-water, the share of domestic sector is higher (9 per cent) in surface water utilisation as compared to groundwater. The share of agricultural sector in total water utilisation is much higher than other sectors. However, in future, with development, the shares of industrial and domestic sectors in the country are likely to increase.” |