Water circulates through the water cycle in the three forms, i.e. solid, liquid and gas.

In the above condition, the groundwater get recharged through the process of infiltration. It replenishes the groundwater.

The actual amount of water available for human use is very little, i.e. approx 0.0006 % of all water found on the earth.

The plants will wilt and ultimately dry up in lack of water

Water is needed for various life activities. If we continue the misuse of water and do not conserve it, the groundwater level will be depleted. This may result into various consequences like
(i) Lowering of the water table Excessive pumping can lower the groundwater table.
(ii) Reduced surface water supply Groundwater and surface water are connected. When groundwater is overused, the lakes, streams and rivers connected to groundwater, can also have little supply.
(iii) Loss of plants from land We fully depend on the plants for food directly or indirectly. Plants need water to prepare their food. If there will be scarcity of water on earth, the plants will be unable to prepare their food. This inturn will lead to the end of the life because world without plants means no food, no oxygen, not enough rain and other innumerable problems. Therefore, it is true that water is a precious resource

(a) Large scale construction (b) Deforestation.
Large scale construction It is main cause of water table lowering because it utilises large amount of water at the time of construction. Most of the time, it is digged water table.
Secondary, when ground surface becomes cemented. It does not allow seepage of rainwater into deeper layers, so rainwater goes waste as run off water and cannot replenish the water table of that particular place.
Deforestation Plants transfer huge amount of water in the form of water vapours. So, when forests are cut down, we interrupt in the process of water cycle of that area. So, no rain occurs at that place and it gradually turns into desert area.

We face shortage of water mainly because water is not evenly distributed by the nature on the earth. Some places such as North East India get so much rains, so that it gets flooded almost every year.
On the other hand, Thar desert in Rajasthan may get rains rarely in the monsoon season. This uneven pattern of rains causes water scarcity in India at some places.

The three causes of water scarcity in our country are
(i) Rapid urbanisation.
(ii) Increased number of industries.
(iii) Population explosion.

Increasing population create demand for construction of houses, shops, offices, roads and pavements (c). This decreases the open areas like parks and playgrounds (b) which inturn decreases the seepage of rainwater into the ground (a). This results in depletion of water table and creates scarcity of more water (d).

Plants lose water in the form of water vapour by the process of transpiration. So, forests contribute a lot of water vapours formation which make clouds.
Thus, plants help to revive water cycle.