The Government of India (GoI) has identified as many as 1,592 blocks (1,186 over-exploited, 313 critical and 93 semi-critical) in 256 districts which are facing acute water crisis. India's most water-stressed blocks are in Tamil Nadu (541), followed by Rajasthan (218), Uttar Pradesh (139) and Telangana (137), with several states reeling from droughtlike conditions. Policy think-tank Niti-Aayog said in a report that nearly 600 million Indians already face "high to extreme water stress." It said 21 cities, including Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad, will run out of groundwater by 2020, affecting 100 million people. Matters are only likely to worsen with the country's water demand likely to double by 2030, indicating there will be a 6% loss in gross domestic product by 2050. India's per capita water availability has fallen from 1,816 cubic metres in 2001 to 1,545 cubic metres in 2011. It is projected to decrease further to 1,345 cubic metres per capita per year by 2025. Globally, the standard for water-stress situation is availability of 1700 cubic metres of water per capita per year; thus, India has been facing a water stressed situation, since start of current decade.
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