Ganga Basin at Historic Low

  • Tree-ring data (PNAS study): Ganga basin experienced its driest three-decade phase (1991-2020) in 1,300 years
  • 76% more intense than 16th-century droughts; beyond natural variability — points to human-driven climate change

Indo-Gangetic Plain Drying

  • IGP identified as drying hotspot since 2009
  • Climate Change (Dec 2025) study: analysed six Indian regions (1971-2020)
  • Drying accelerating fastest in IGP and northeast India
  • Weaker monsoon rainfall + rising temperatures = intensifying moisture stress

Groundwater Crisis

  • Groundwater overextraction: 68% of terrestrial water storage loss in non-glaciated regions
  • Indus basin: losing 1.23 cm water storage yearly
  • Ganga-Brahmaputra basin: losing ~1.09 cm annually
  • Continental drying now contributes 44% to global sea-level rise (exceeds Greenland: 37%, Antarctic: 19%)
  • In India, agriculture consumes over 85% of water, exacerbated by power subsidies that incentivise indiscriminate pumping

Global Water Bankruptcy Report (UN University, Jan 2026)

  • Three-quarters of world population live in water-insecure countries
  • 410 million hectares of wetlands disappeared in 50 years (ecosystem services lost: US $5.1 trillion)
  • Excessive extraction caused land subsidence across 6 million sq km; some cities sinking up to 25 cm/year
  • “Megadroughts” — prolonged dry spells spanning large regions for decades that permanently damage ecosystems

Global Case: Chile & Iran

  • Chile’s groundwater extraction surged by 383% between 1997 and 2022, mountain lakes shrank by up to 25%, forcing water rationing in Santiago
  • In Tehran, Iran, thousands gathered to offer salat al-istisqa (prayers for rain) amid a crippling six-year drought

Way Forward

  • Agriculture must be the centre of the solution: shift away from water-guzzling crops, scale drip irrigation and solar-powered pumping, reform electricity subsidies, promote direct-seeded cultivation

UPSC Angle

  • GS3: Water resources, climate change, environment
  • GS1: Physical geography, drought

📌 Facts Corner — Knowledgepedia

India Water Crisis:

  • Indus basin water storage loss: 1.23 cm/year
  • Ganga-Brahmaputra basin loss: ~1.09 cm/year
  • Agriculture share of India’s water use: 85%+
  • Continental drying contribution to sea-level rise: 44%

Global Water Bankruptcy Report (UN University, Jan 2026):

  • 410 million hectares of wetlands lost in 50 years
  • Ecosystem services lost: US $5.1 trillion
  • Land subsidence across 6 million sq km
  • Chile groundwater extraction surge: 383% (1997-2022)