• Accounts for 4% of world’s water resources. 
• Total water available from precipitation in a year is about 4,000 cubic km. The availability from surface water and replenishable ground water is 1869 cubic km. Of these only 60% can be put to beneficial use. 
• River systems: Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra and Peninsular river systems. 

Different water resources of India:

1. Surface water resource – water found on the surface
   1. Main source – precipitation
   2. About 20% of the precipitation evaporates
   3. Large part of surface water found in rivers, riverlets, lakes and ponds.
   4. Remaining water flows in to the sea
   5. The capacity of reservoirs constructed in India is about 17400 billion cubic meters.  
2. Groundwater resources
3. Lagoons and backwaters
   1. States like Kerala, Odisha and WB, have vast surface water resources in the form of lagoons and lakes. 
   2. Mainly used for fishing and irrigation purposes. 
4. Inland water resources
   1. Includes streams, canals, ponds, wet lands etc. 
   2. Used for:
      1. Domestic water supply
      2. Industrial water supply
      3. Fishing
      4. Irrigation
      5. Navigation