Disregarding the value of blue gold could place the country at the mercy of China in thirsty times
Losing Ground
India has lost 109 cubic km of its groundwater between 2002 and 2008, mostly a period of above normal rainfall. Based on satellite data, scientists at Nasa and University of California estimate that in Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, ground water levels have been falling at an alarming rate of one foot per year for much of the last decade. Nasa forecasts dire consequences for 114 million north Indians – a collapse of agricultural output and severe shortage of potable water.
(This story appears in the 09 October, 2009 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)