Ganga basin States stare at three-fold rise in crop failures by 2040

As flows decline and pollution worsens, there will be less irrigation and drinking water available in uttar pradesh and madhya pradesh.

- As flows decline and pollution worsens, there will be less irrigation and drinking water available in uttar pradesh and madhya pradesh

The Ganga river basin could see crop failures rise threefold and drinking water shortage go up by as much as 39% in some States between now and 2040, says an assessment commissioned by the World Bank and submitted to the Central Water Commission.

If there is no intervention, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are likely to see a deficit in irrigation water of 28%, 10%, 10% and 15% respectively in 2040 as compared to the current levels. Madhya Pradesh would see a 39%, Delhi 22% and Uttar Pradesh a 25% deficit in drinking water during the same period, the assessment released earlier this week noted.

Nation’s lifeline

The basin provides over a third of India’s available surface water and contributes more than half the national water use, of which 90% is for irrigation.

“The volume of extracted groundwater is expected to more than double, leading to an increase in the critical blocks. Low flow values in the rivers are predicted to decline compared to present levels…Water quality and environmental flow conditions already critical will deteriorate further,” the report has warned.