Status of water stress in IndiaIN India rainfed agro-ecologies contribute 60% of the net sown area, 100% of the forest and 66% of the livestock. About 84-87% of pulses and minor millets, 80% of horticulture, 77% of oilseeds, 66% of cotton and 50% of cereals are cultivated under this region 1 . The area under dryland condition is 85 m ha (60% of total cultivated area), which receives average annual rainfall less than 1150 mm. Also, more than 30% of total geographical area of the country comes under low rainfall (less than 750 mm). About 84 districts in India fall in the category of low rainfall area.India ranks 41st among 181 countries with regard to water stress, with average score of 4.2 on the 0-5 scale system. (Water stress measures how much water is withdrawn every year from rivers, streams and shallow aquifers for domestic, agricultural and industrial uses. Scores above 4 on a scale of 0-5 indicate that, for the average water user, more than 80% of the water available is withdrawn annually.) The 4.2 score indicates that India is in the high risk zone with regard to water stress 2 .
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