Topic 81: Natural Resources of India – Water,

Study Material

Paper Paper II

Unit 3

1. India's Total Forest Cover - Total forest cover (including tree cover): 8,09,537 sq km - Equals 24.62% of total geographic area (FSI, State of Forest Report 2021) - National Forest Policy 1988 targets 33% coverage (one-third of land) - Forest Survey of India (FSI) is the official measuring body
2. 5 Major Types of Natural Vegetation - Tropical Evergreen — >200 cm rainfall; Western Ghats, NE India - Tropical Deciduous — most widespread; 75–200 cm rain; sal, teak - Tropical Thorny/Scrub — arid zones; <75 cm rain; khejri, babool - Montane Forests — altitudinal zones in Himalayas - Tidal/Mangrove Forests — coastal deltas
3. Tropical Moist Deciduous — India's Largest Forest Type - Largest forest type by area in India - Sal (Shorea robusta) dominates eastern India: Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh - Teak (Tectona grandis) dominates central-western India: MP, Maharashtra, Karnataka - Both are high-value commercial timber species
4. 6 Major Soil Types (ICAR/NBSS&LUP) - Alluvial — 43% of cultivated land; most productive; Ganga-Indus plains - Black/Regur — 15%; Maharashtra, MP, Gujarat; cotton soil - Red/Laterite — 18%; Peninsular plateau - Arid/Desert — <250 mm rain; W. Rajasthan, Gujarat - Forest/Mountain — Himalayas - Saline/Alkaline — waterlogged areas
5. India's Water Availability - Total annual water availability: ~1,869 BCM - Utilizable water: ~1,123 BCM (690 BCM surface + 433 BCM groundwater) - India is one of the world's largest groundwater users - Accounts for ~25% of global groundwater extraction
6. Coal Reserves — World's 4th Largest - Total reserves: ~344 billion tonnes - 90% is bituminous/sub-bituminous coal from Gondwana formations - Damodar Valley (Jharia, Raniganj — Jharkhand/West Bengal) is India's richest coalfield - India is the world's 2nd largest coal producer (~900 MT/year)
7. India's Installed Power Capacity (March 2024) - Total installed capacity: ~950 GW - Renewable energy: ~195 GW (solar ~82 GW, wind ~45 GW, hydro ~47 GW) - India holds the world's 3rd largest solar capacity - COP26 commitment: 500 GW non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030
8. Bauxite (PYQ 2023) - India is the world's 5th largest bauxite producer and 5th in reserves (~3.5 billion tonnes) - Odisha — Panchpat Mali (Kalahandi), Koraput (largest deposits) - Andhra Pradesh — Visakhapatnam; Gujarat — Jamnagar - Maharashtra — Kolhapur
9. Petroleum Reserves — Key Basins - Bombay High (offshore Mumbai) — ~60% of domestic crude production; ONGC-operated - Assam — Digboi (India's oldest oilfield, 1889); Duliajan - Krishna-Godavari Basin — deep water KG-D6 block (Andhra Pradesh) - Rajasthan — Barmer-Sanchore Basin (Cairn India/Vedanta fields)
10. Sundarbans — India's Largest Mangrove Forest - Area on Indian side: 4,260 sq km (West Bengal + Bangladesh delta) - UNESCO World Heritage Site and Ramsar Wetland - Home to the Royal Bengal Tiger (~100 on Indian side) - Formed by the Ganga-Brahmaputra delta system
11. Iron Ore — World's 4th Largest Reserves - Total reserves: ~28.5 billion tonnes - Top producing states: Odisha (55%), Jharkhand (25%), Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Goa - Key mines: Bailadila (Dantewada, CG), Kiriburu (Singhbhum, JK), Hospet-Bellary (Karnataka) - Both haematite and magnetite types present
12. Mica — India's Global Dominance - India was once the world's largest mica producer - Still accounts for ~60% of global sheet mica supply - Jharkhand (Hazaribagh) and Rajasthan (Bhilwara, Ajmer) are major producers - Uses: electrical insulation, electronics, cosmetics

Key facts

India's Total Forest Cover — Total forest cover (including tree cover): 8,09,537 sq km
5 Major Types of Natural Vegetation — Tropical Evergreen — >200 cm rainfall; Western Ghats, NE India — Tropical Deciduous
6 Major Soil Types (ICAR/NBSS&LUP) — Alluvial — 43% of cultivated land; most productive; Ganga-Indus plains — Black/Regur
India's Water Availability — Total annual water availability: ~1,869 BCM — Utilizable water: ~1,123 BCM (690 BCM surface + 433 BCM groundwater)
Coal Reserves — World's 4th Largest — Total reserves: ~344 billion tonnes — 90% is bituminous/sub-bituminous coal from Gondwana formations

Key Points at a Glance

1
India's Total Forest Cover
- Total forest cover (including tree cover): 8,09,537 sq km
- Equals 24.62% of total geographic area (FSI, State of Forest Report 2021)
- National Forest Policy 1988 targets 33% coverage (one-third of land)
- Forest Survey of India (FSI) is the official measuring body
2
5 Major Types of Natural Vegetation
- Tropical Evergreen — >200 cm rainfall; Western Ghats, NE India
- Tropical Deciduous — most widespread; 75–200 cm rain; sal, teak
- Tropical Thorny/Scrub — arid zones; <75 cm rain; khejri, babool
- Montane Forests — altitudinal zones in Himalayas
- Tidal/Mangrove Forests — coastal deltas
3
Tropical Moist Deciduous — India's Largest Forest Type
- Largest forest type by area in India
- Sal (Shorea robusta) dominates eastern India: Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh
- Teak (Tectona grandis) dominates central-western India: MP, Maharashtra, Karnataka
- Both are high-value commercial timber species
4
6 Major Soil Types (ICAR/NBSS&LUP)
- Alluvial — 43% of cultivated land; most productive; Ganga-Indus plains
- Black/Regur — 15%; Maharashtra, MP, Gujarat; cotton soil
- Red/Laterite — 18%; Peninsular plateau
- Arid/Desert — <250 mm rain; W. Rajasthan, Gujarat
- Forest/Mountain — Himalayas
- Saline/Alkaline — waterlogged areas
5
India's Water Availability
- Total annual water availability: ~1,869 BCM
- Utilizable water: ~1,123 BCM (690 BCM surface + 433 BCM groundwater)
- India is one of the world's largest groundwater users
- Accounts for ~25% of global groundwater extraction
6
Coal Reserves — World's 4th Largest
- Total reserves: ~344 billion tonnes
- 90% is bituminous/sub-bituminous coal from Gondwana formations
- Damodar Valley (Jharia, Raniganj — Jharkhand/West Bengal) is India's richest coalfield
- India is the world's 2nd largest coal producer (~900 MT/year)
7
India's Installed Power Capacity (March 2024)
- Total installed capacity: ~950 GW
- Renewable energy: ~195 GW (solar ~82 GW, wind ~45 GW, hydro ~47 GW)
- India holds the world's 3rd largest solar capacity
- COP26 commitment: 500 GW non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030
8
Bauxite (PYQ 2023)
- India is the world's 5th largest bauxite producer and 5th in reserves (~3.5 billion tonnes)
- Odisha — Panchpat Mali (Kalahandi), Koraput (largest deposits)
- Andhra Pradesh — Visakhapatnam; Gujarat — Jamnagar
- Maharashtra — Kolhapur
9
Petroleum Reserves — Key Basins
- Bombay High (offshore Mumbai) — ~60% of domestic crude production; ONGC-operated
- Assam — Digboi (India's oldest oilfield, 1889); Duliajan
- Krishna-Godavari Basin — deep water KG-D6 block (Andhra Pradesh)
- Rajasthan — Barmer-Sanchore Basin (Cairn India/Vedanta fields)
10
Sundarbans — India's Largest Mangrove Forest
- Area on Indian side: 4,260 sq km (West Bengal + Bangladesh delta)
- UNESCO World Heritage Site and Ramsar Wetland
- Home to the Royal Bengal Tiger (~100 on Indian side)
- Formed by the Ganga-Brahmaputra delta system
11
Iron Ore — World's 4th Largest Reserves
- Total reserves: ~28.5 billion tonnes
- Top producing states: Odisha (55%), Jharkhand (25%), Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Goa
- Key mines: Bailadila (Dantewada, CG), Kiriburu (Singhbhum, JK), Hospet-Bellary (Karnataka)
- Both haematite and magnetite types present
12
Mica — India's Global Dominance
- India was once the world's largest mica producer
- Still accounts for ~60% of global sheet mica supply
- Jharkhand (Hazaribagh) and Rajasthan (Bhilwara, Ajmer) are major producers
- Uses: electrical insulation, electronics, cosmetics

What is India's natural resource base?

India's natural resource base is a large, varied endowment of water, soils, forests, minerals and energy resources shaped by the Himalayas, the Indo-Gangetic alluvium, the Peninsular shield and a long coastline. According to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation's Statistical Year Book India, India's total geographical area is 32,87,240 sq km.

India's Resource Wealth

India is richly endowed with natural resources because it combines varied physiography, diverse climate zones, ancient geological formations and an extensive coastline. The country ranks among the world's top 10 in reserves or production of several minerals: coal (4th), iron ore (4th), bauxite (5th). It has the world's 2nd largest agricultural land and is rapidly becoming a major renewable-energy producer, with solar capacity placed among the world's leading national capacities.

Classification of Natural Resources

Natural resources are classified as:

Renewable: Forests, water, soil, solar, wind, tidal (can be replenished naturally)
Non-renewable: Coal, petroleum, natural gas, minerals (exhausted with use)

Three Fundamental Patterns

India's resource geography is shaped by three fundamental patterns:

Gondwana formations in Peninsular India -> coal, iron ore, bauxite, mica
Alluvial deposits in Indo-Gangetic Plain -> fertile soil, groundwater
Himalayas and coasts -> hydropower, biodiversity, fisheries, offshore oil

RPSC Focus Areas

RPSC focus areas: Forest types (PYQ 2021 - tropical evergreen), minerals (PYQ 2023 - bauxite mining areas), renewable energy (questions on solar and wind are increasingly common), soil types (RPSC also tests Rajasthan soils - see T086). The convergence of conservation policy (Forest Rights Act, National Forest Policy) with resource exploitation is a recurring policy angle.

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PREDICTED Predicted RAS Questions

Based on PYQ trends and 2026 syllabus analysis

1 5M Describe the main characteristics of Tropical Evergreen Forests of India. (PYQ 2021 type) 5 marks · 50 words

Model Answer

Tropical Evergreen Forests require >200 cm (2,000 mm) annual rainfall and occur in the Western Ghats (Kerala, Karnataka, Goa), NE India (Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal), and Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Characteristics: dense multi-layered canopy (30–60 m); trees retain leaves throughout the year; exceptionally high biodiversity (>40% of India's plant species); key species include rosewood, ebony, bamboo, and iron wood. Silent Valley (Kerala) is a UNESCO-protected pristine rainforest site.

~50 words • 5 marks