Consider the following statements:
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Statement 1 is correct. Approximately 97.5% of the Earth's total water is saline, found in oceans. The remaining 2.5% is freshwater. Of this freshwater, a very small fraction is readily accessible for human use, primarily found in rivers, lakes, and shallow groundwater. This readily available freshwater constitutes significantly less than 1% (often cited around 0.3%) of the Earth's total water supply.
Statement 2 is incorrect. Of the total freshwater on Earth, approximately 68.7% is locked up in polar ice caps and glaciers. Another significant portion, about 30.1%, exists as groundwater. Surface water bodies like lakes and rivers account for a much smaller percentage, around 1.2%. Therefore, the claim that 95% of total freshwater is bound in polar ice caps and glaciers is factually inaccurate.
Based on the analysis, Statement 1 is correct, and Statement 2 is incorrect. Thus, option (a) is the correct answer, while options (b), (c), and (d) are incorrect.