An update on India's groundwater situation
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India groundwater situation - An analysis
- The story: Groundwater is water that exists underground in saturated zones beneath the land surface. The upper surface of the saturated zone is called the water table. It is not in the form of underground rivers, but fills the pores and fractures in underground materials such as sand, gravel, and other rock, much the same way that water fills a sponge. If groundwater flows naturally out of rock materials or if it can be removed by pumping (in useful amounts), the rock materials are called aquifers. Groundwater moves slowly, at rates of 7-60 centimeters per day in an aquifer. Hence, water could remain in an aquifer for lakhs of years. Groundwater is a huge source of usable water for humanity.
- Depletion: An analysis of water level data by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) India indicated that about 33% of the wells monitored registered a decline in ground water levels in the range of 0 – 2 metres.
- A decline of more than 4.0 m has also been observed in a few pockets of metro cities like New Delhi, Chennai, Indore, Madurai, Vijayawada, Ghaziabad, Kanpur, and Lucknow, etc.
- The CGWB is periodically monitoring the ground water levels throughout India, including in metro cities on a regional scale, through a network of monitoring wells.
- Groundwater extraction in India: The UNESCO World Water Development Report, 2018, stated that India is the largest extractor of groundwater in the world.
- The contribution of groundwater to national gross domestic product is never measured. As per the CGWB, with 230 billion metre cube of groundwater drawn out each year for irrigating agriculture lands in India, many parts of India are experiencing a rapid depletion. The total estimated groundwater depletion in India is in the range of 122–199 billion cubic metres.
- Major reasons: First and foremost, it is the 'Green Revolution'. It enabled water-intensive crops to be grown in drought prone/ water deficit regions, leading to over extraction of groundwater.
- Frequent pumping of water from the ground without waiting for its replenishment leads to quick depletion. Subsidies on electricity and high MSP (Minimum Support Price) for water intensive crops also pushed a certain consumption behaviour, that depleted the groundwater reserves.
- Industries' needs - Water contamination has happened via pollution by landfills, septic tanks, leaky underground gas tanks, and from overuse of fertilizers and pesticides leading to damage and depletion of groundwater resources.
- Poor regulation - Inadequate regulation of groundwater encourages the exhaustion of groundwater resources without any penalty. In India, construction of irrigation wells does not require any clearance and no records are maintained of abandoned wells. So each day, hundreds of wells are constructed and even more are abandoned when they run dry.
- Centre State issue - Water being a 'State subject', initiatives on water management including water conservation and water harvesting and making available adequate drinkable water to citizens in the Country is primarily States’ responsibility. But important measures including funding of various projects are taken by the Central Government.
- Central Government initiatives:
- Jal Shakti Abhiyan - The Government launched the Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) in 2019, intended to improve water availability including groundwater conditions in the water stressed blocks of 256 districts in India.
- Master Plan for Artificial Recharge to Groundwater 2020 - The CGWB, in consultation with the state governments, prepared The Master Plan - 2020. It envisages construction of about 1.42 crore Rain water harvesting and artificial recharge structures to harness 185 Billion Cubic Metre (BCM). In addition, the government launched the "Catch the Rain" campaign to promote rainwater harvesting.
- National Water Policy (2012) - It advocates rainwater harvesting and conservation of water and highlights the need for augmenting the availability of water through direct use of rainfall. It advocates conservation of river, river bodies and infrastructure should be undertaken in a scientifically planned manner through community participation.
- Atal Bhujal Yojana - The ABHY scheme (co-funded by World Bank funding) for sustainable management of ground water with community participation, is being taken up in the identified over-exploited and water stressed areas.
- Convergent approach with MGNREGA - The government supports construction of water harvesting and conservation works primarily through Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana – Watershed Development Component.
- Aquifer Mapping and Management Programme - The CGWB has taken up Aquifer Mapping and Management Programme. It is aimed to delineate aquifer disposition and their characterization for preparation of aquifer/ area specific groundwater management plans with community participation.
- Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT): The Mission focuses on development of basic urban infrastructure in the AMRUT cities, such as water supply, sewerage & septage management, storm water drainage, green spaces & parks, and non-motorized urban transport.
- State level initiatives - Many states have done notable work. Examples: Mukhyamantri Jal Swavlamban Abhiyan’ in Rajasthan; ‘Jalyukt Shibar’ in Maharashtra; ‘Sujalam Sufalam Abhiyan’ in Gujarat; ‘Mission Kakatiya’ in Telangana; Neeru Chettu’ in Andhra Pradesh; Jal Jeevan Hariyali in Bihar, and ‘Jal Hi Jeevan’ in Haryana.
- Pani Panchayats: The PM took a step in the right direction by highlighting the importance of water conservation and the need to adopt appropriate measures to make water conservation a mass movement. Decentralizing the water conservation to rural level or strengthening Pani Panchayats can be very effective.
- Water bodies: Encroachment and diversion of water bodies and drainage channels must not be allowed and the damaged bodied should be restored to the extent feasible and maintained properly. The extraction charges collected should be used for restoration of groundwater.
- For farmers: Micro Irrigation techniques like sprinkler or drip irrigation should be encouraged. In drip irrigation, water is run through pipes (with holes in them) either buried or lying slightly above the ground next to the crops. Water slowly drips onto the crop roots and stems. Unlike spray irrigation, very little is lost to evaporation and the water can be directed only to the plants that need it, cutting back on water waste.
- More: "Artificial Recharge" of groundwater is the process of spreading or impounding water on the land to increase the infiltration through the soil and percolation to the aquifer or of injecting water by wells directly into the aquifer. Also, installing groundwater management plants at local levels will help people in knowing the groundwater availability in their area making them use it wisely.
- EXAM QUESTIONS: (1) Explain the links between developmental needs and rampant groundwater extraction in India. (2) What was the role of the Green Revolution in worsening the situation of groundwater extraction in India? Comment and analyse. (3) Suggest five crucial steps that can help mitigate the worsening condition of groundwater extraction in India.
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