Theme : Environmental Pollution , Conservation
Paper : GS - 3
TABLE OF CONTENT
- Context
- Groundwater Extraction in India
- Problems related to Groundwater Extraction
- Reasons for Depletion
- Government Initiatives
- Road Ahead
Context : Groundwater pollution and the effects of climate change, including erratic rainfall in the drier areas, put additional stress on groundwater resources. Overexploitation rates pose threats to livelihoods, food security, climate-driven migration and human development.
Groundwater Extraction in India :
- India is the world’s largest user of groundwater, where groundwater contributes to more than 60% of the country’s irrigation resources.This over-extraction of groundwater is non-renewable since recharge rates are less than extraction rates and replenishing this resource can take thousands of years.
- The 2022 assessment of the Ministry of Water Resources suggests that groundwater extraction is the lowest since 2004.A decrease in groundwater extraction may indicate better water management, however, the report called the National Compilation on Dynamic Ground Water Resources of India also says that the improvement is only “marginal”.
Problems related to Groundwater Extraction :
- Unregulated Pumping: Several states affected by depletion of groundwater provide free or heavily subsidized power (including solar pumps) for pumping groundwater for irrigated agriculture. This enables overexploitation and depletion of scarce groundwater resources.
- Preference to Water-intensive Crops: The minimum support price for wheat and rice creates highly skewed incentive structures in favor of wheat and paddy, which are water intensive crops and depend heavily on ground water for their growth. This makes groundwater a heavenly resource for their farming.
- Lack of Ground-Water Regulation: The government of India regulates groundwater exploitation in water-stressed states through “notification” of highly overexploited blocks.However, only about 14% of the overexploited blocks in the country are currently notified.
- Rising Population and Urbanisation: Rising population and urbanization has increased demand for water for domestic and industrial needs. limited surface water resources lead to the over-exploitation of groundwater resources.
- Climate Change – Sinking Water Table: Draughts, flash floods, and disrupted monsoon events are recent examples of climate change events that are placing pressure on India's groundwater resources.
Reasons for Depletion :
- Increased demand for water for domestic, industrial and agricultural needs and limited surface water resources lead to the over-exploitation of groundwater resources.
- Limited storage facilities owing to the hard rock terrain, along with the added disadvantage of lack of rainfall, especially in central Indian states.
- The Green Revolution 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 for water-intensive crops are also leading reasons for depletion.
- Water contamination as in the case of pollution by landfills, septic tanks, leaky underground gas tanks, and overuse of fertilizers and pesticides leads to damage and depletion of groundwater resources.
- Inadequate regulation of groundwater laws encourages the exhaustion of groundwater resources without any penalty.
- Deforestation, unscientific methods of agriculture, chemical effluents from industries, and lack of sanitation also lead to pollution of groundwater, making it unusable.
- Natural causes include uneven rainfall and climate change that are hindering the process of groundwater recharge.
Government Initiatives :
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National Water Policy (2012) by Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation. The policy advocates –
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Rainwater harvesting and conservation of water.
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Highlights the need for augmenting the availability of water through direct use of rainfall.
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Conservation of river, river bodies and infrastructure in a scientifically planned manner through community participation.
(B) Creation of a new Ministry of Jal Shakti for dealing with all matters relating to water at one place in an integrated manner.
(C) Atal Bhujal Yojana (Atal Jal): It is a Central Sector Scheme, for sustainable management of groundwater resources with community participation in water-stressed blocks.
(D) Mass awareness programs (Training, Seminars, Workshops, Exhibitions, Trade Fares and Painting Competitions, etc.) are conducted from time to time each year under the Information, Education & Communication (IEC) Scheme.
(E) Encouraging farmers to adopt micro-irrigation techniques such as drip irrigation and micro-sprinklers.The government has initiated schemes like the DRIP program, more drop per crop, Krishi Sinchai Yojana to ensure economical water use practices in agriculture.
(F) Use of tensiometer: The tensiometer gives visual information about the availability of soil moisture conditions. Irrigating the field based on this information will help conserve groundwater.
Road Ahead :
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Routine survey at regular intervals: There should be regular assessment of groundwater levels to ensure that adequate data is available for formulating policies and devising new techniques.
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Assessment of land use pattern: Studies should be carried out to assess land use and the proportion of agricultural land falling under overt-exploited units.
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This will help in determining suitable crop patterns in water-stressed areas.
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Changes in farming methods: To improve the water table in those areas where it is being overused, on-farm water management techniques and improved irrigation methods should be adopted.
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Methods for artificial recharge of groundwater are also welcome.
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Bottom-up approach by empowering the local community to become active participants in managing groundwater.
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Creating regulatory options at the community level such as panchayat is also one among the feasible solutions.
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Traditional methods of water conservation should be encouraged to minimize the depletion of water resources.
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Reforms in power supply subsidies for agriculture: The agricultural power-pricing structure needs to be revamped as the flat rate of electricity adversely affects the use of groundwater.
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Monitoring groundwater extraction: There should be a policy in place to monitor the excessive exploitation of groundwater resources to ensure long-term sustainability.
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Water meters could be installed to monitor overuse.
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There should be restrictions to cut off the access to groundwater in areas identified as “critical” and “dark zones”, where the water table is overused or very low.
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There is a need to treat water as a common resource rather than private property to prevent its overexploitation
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FAQs :
1. What are the major findings of the 2022 Assessment of the Ministry of Water Resources?
Answer : The 2022 assessment of the Ministry of Water Resources suggests that groundwater extraction is the lowest since 2004.
2. What is Atal Bhujal Yojana ?
Answer : It is a Central Sector Scheme, for sustainable management of groundwater resources with community participation in water-stressed blocks.