India losing biodiversity hotspots

Drinking water sources getting polluted

The report on state of India's environment says degraded land in the country has decreased from 57 per cent in 2001 to 45 per cent in 2009. Forest cover has increased, marginally. But there is little else to cheer

• Central India, Eastern Himalayas and the Western Ghats, India's biodiversity hotspots, are losing forest cover


• The domestic water demand over the next 20 years will double from 25 billion cubic metre (BCM) to 50 BCM


• 80 per cent of domestic water supply in rural India comes from groundwater


• 70 per cent of surface water sources like lakes and ponds are polluted


• 50 million cubic metres of untreated sewage enter the rivers every year


• Forest cover has increased to 23.6 per cent, just one per cent more since 1990; mangroves have decreased from 4,046 square km in 1987 to 3,335 sq km in 2003


• The frequency of floods has increased in India due to deforestation in the catchment areas, increased urbanization and increased sedimentation

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