Drinking water supply in Andhra Pradesh
Rivers ion our state
Andhra Pradesh has 40 small and large rivers. The Krishna, Godavari, Tungbhadra, Pennar and the Vamasadhara are the most important rivers. The inter state- Krishna and Godavari rivers carry 90% of our surface water. We are making 100% use of the water waters in the Krishna and the pennar. From the Godavari, however, at present we are using 48% of the water, by 2025, we have to use very drop of fresh water that is available to us to meet the water demand.
Groundwater in our state
Twenty years ago, we used most of the groundwater only for domestic purposes. Now with the availability of electricity, more groundwater is being pumped up for agriculture. In the last thirty years, our wells have increased from ten Lakhs to 22 Lakhs in number. Groundwater is used to irrigate 26 Lakhs hectares now, which was 10 Lakhs hectares a few years ago. The demand for digging bore wells is rapidly increasing, but we cannot accommodate this demand any longer. Of the 72, 860 habitations in the state, only 46% have adequate supply of water and 44% have a partial supply, approximately, 2.8% of the habitations have not been brought under the protected water supply scheme. Almost 5.6% have no safe drinking water. In 2003, 4050 habitations had no safe drinking water.
Drinking water supply
Of the water available now, we are utilizing 9% for domestic use and 0.45% for industrial use. By 2025, our state will have over 9 crore population. The average water that will be available in 2025 will be 1150 cubic meters. Now the average availability is 1400 cubic meters. By 2025, we may need to completely utilize the water available in the state.
Water scarcity
In Andhra Pradesh, about 24% of the land has turned fallow; from among the 1104 mandals in the state, 548 have witness receding of the water table below ten meters. They have a serious water problem all the time.
Nearly 60% of our water resources are being used drinking, agriculture, industry and power generation. If we add up our surface water and groundwater, it amounts to 3,820 TMC ft [thousand million cubic feet]. However, our usage is much higher at 2200 TMC, leading to a serve shortage.
At present, we are drawing an unbelievable percentage (58%) of the precious groundwater available to us. If we use more than 40% of the groundwater in an area that it is declared as water –deficient. About 90% of our village has drinking water supply. But sufficient water reaches only 46% of the habitations. Every year, 7% to 8% of bore wells are drying up due to the receding groundwater levels. Only 10% to 12% of the bore wells dug is still in use.
Water facts
To produce food sufficient for one person per day, 3000 liters of water is needed. It is not cooking alone, but there are many activities behind the production, distribution and consumption, of food. These activities range from the seed stage of the cooked food stage, which consume enormous quantities of water. During the period 1970-2000, about 47% of life forms on the earth have become extinct due to the scarcity of water.
The most important natural resources for us, namely water, are disappearing fast!
On the other hand, in the last fifteen years, 90% of the natural disasters occurred due to floods.
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