Groundwater Exploitation and CGWA

While India faces severe groundwater depletion, the figure of 36% of districts being 'overexploited' or 'critical' was factually inaccurate at the time (the actual assessment units, typically blocks/talukas rather than districts, hovered around 22% combined). Thus, Statement 1 is considered incorrect. The Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) was constituted under sub-section (3) of Section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, to regulate and control groundwater development (Statement 2 is correct). India relies heavily on borewells and tube wells and indeed has the largest area under groundwater irrigation globally, far exceeding China and the USA (Statement 3 is correct). > One-line conceptual takeaway: India is the world's largest extractor of groundwater, regulated by an authority uniquely derived from the Environment Protection Act, 1986. Answer: (b).