Effects of Overpopulation in India
According to the CIA World Factbook, India’s population is the second most populated country in the world, with more than 1.15 billion people as of July 2009. The Indian people have nearly 3,287,263 square kilometers of land to use, approximately 170 million hectares of which is available for farming.
These 170 million hectares has the potential to yield enough crops for India to place India at the top of the crop yields for the entire world. In fact, in 1999, India had the second highest crop yields in the world for both rice and wheat. India’s economy does not rely heavily on export and these crops primarily stayed in the country, helping to feed some of the 1.15 billion people. Unfortunately, it is not clear if this quantity of food could meet the needs of India’s population if it had been distributed in a more equitable manner. However, it is fundamentally clear that millions of Indians are not having their biological needs met. If the population continues to rise at current rates, 1.4% a year as of 2009, India will not be able to produce sufficient food to meet the growing demands. It is simple math. If India is going to increase their population size, they also need to find ways to both increase their food production and the efficient of their distribution system.
Consider the following facts regarding India’s growing population. Forty-two percent of India’s population falls below the World Banks $1.25/day per person line for determining poverty. Fifty-three percent of India’s five and under population is malnourished. Thirty-seven percent has little to no access to water safe for drinking and cooking. Bombay has nearly fifteen million people sleeping on sidewalks and living in the streets. These are the effects of overpopulation on India. There simply are not enough goods to go around. Additionally, there is insufficient infrastructure to deliver the available goods to the people that need them the most.
Another argument about the effects of
These 170 million hectares has the potential to yield enough crops for India to place India at the top of the crop yields for the entire world. In fact, in 1999, India had the second highest crop yields in the world for both rice and wheat. India’s economy does not rely heavily on export and these crops primarily stayed in the country, helping to feed some of the 1.15 billion people. Unfortunately, it is not clear if this quantity of food could meet the needs of India’s population if it had been distributed in a more equitable manner. However, it is fundamentally clear that millions of Indians are not having their biological needs met. If the population continues to rise at current rates, 1.4% a year as of 2009, India will not be able to produce sufficient food to meet the growing demands. It is simple math. If India is going to increase their population size, they also need to find ways to both increase their food production and the efficient of their distribution system.
Consider the following facts regarding India’s growing population. Forty-two percent of India’s population falls below the World Banks $1.25/day per person line for determining poverty. Fifty-three percent of India’s five and under population is malnourished. Thirty-seven percent has little to no access to water safe for drinking and cooking. Bombay has nearly fifteen million people sleeping on sidewalks and living in the streets. These are the effects of overpopulation on India. There simply are not enough goods to go around. Additionally, there is insufficient infrastructure to deliver the available goods to the people that need them the most.
Another argument about the effects of