22 Oct

Ground Water Issues

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Content

• Global Situation
• India’s Situation
• Key Challenges
• Key Efforts for Groundwater

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Introduction

Global Situation

• As per World Water Development Report, 2022, Ground water accounts for 99% of the liquid freshwater on earth. It has continued to serve humankind for many millennia and currently around 50% of water used in domestic purpose and 25% of water used for irrigation globally comes from groundwater.
• Yet, despite its enormous importance, this natural resource is often poorly understood, and consequently undervalued, mismanaged and even abused.

India’s Situation:

• Annual extractable groundwater availability in India (2017) is 393 BCM.
• India is the largest user of ground water in the world, extracting 253 BCM per year, which is 25% of the global ground water extraction. It extracts more groundwater
  than USA and China combined together. Most of the ground water extracted in India is for Irrigation (228 Billion Cubic Meter (BCM)) which accounts for 90% of the total extraction.
  • In India, 60% of irrigation requirement is fulfilled by groundwater.
• The remaining 10% (225 BCM) is for drinking, domestic as well as industrial uses.
• Industrial use accounts for only 5% of the total extraction
• Satellite Gravimetry has provided convincing evidence in support of the alarming rates of groundwater depletion.
• The data is supported by local level water table measurements in wells, where in 61% decline has been seen by CGWB.
• As per the 2022 assessment by the CGWB, 14% of assessments units in the country (1006/7089) have been categorized as ‘Over-exploited’ where the annual groundwater extraction is more than annual available Ground Water Resource. 4 States/UTs viz. Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu have stage of Ground Water Extraction greater than 100%.

Key Challenges

Depletion due to Over-extraction:

• Over the years, groundwater has become the dominant source of irrigation as well as for domestic purpose. This is primarily due to unavailability of surface irrigation in regions such as Rajasthan.
• Installation of tube-wells have increased in north-western plains. Since the 1980s, 77% of the total addition to irrigation has come from tubewells. This has allowed farmers in the region to grow water intensive crops like Wheat and Rice. It has also allowed increase in cropping intensity by allowing for sowing of crops during dry winters.
• Electricity Subsidy for agriculture and increased rural electrification has also been a factor behind over-exploitation of ground water.
• Expansion of solar powered irrigation systems which have led to very affordable cost of ground water extraction.
• Weak law and regulations to prevent or limit diffuse groundwater pollution.
• Industry that withdraws groundwater include manufacturing, mining, oil, and gas, power generation, engineering, and construction.
• Bottled water industry is emerging as a major extractor.

Destruction of wetlands, acquifers etc. which used to act as water sinks and contributed to ground water recharge.

Pollution: Many sources of groundwater pollution are located in or near surface, but several other sources inject pollutants into the subsurface at greater depth below the surface.

• Pollution due to Agriculture is widespread and difficult to control as it is a diffused source and includes large quantities of nitrates, pesticides, and other agronomics.
• Industrial effluent discharge; Leaching through coal ash waste dumps; Fracking of natural gas, particularly in shallow acquifers can present considerable risk of groundwater contamination.

Irreversibility: Once polluted, the acquifers tend to remain with polluted water.

Climate Change: CC impacts groundwater through impacting precipitation, leakage from surface water, sea water intrusion into coastal acquifers.

Key Efforts for Groundwater:

• Recent Schemes: – Jal Shakti Abhiyan: First launched in the year 2019, it focuses primarily upon effectively harvesting the monsoon rainfall through creation of artificial recharge structures, watershed management, intensive afforestation, awareness generation etc. JSA for the year 2023 was launched on 4th March 2023 with the theme “Source Sustainability for Drinking Water”.
• Amrit Sarovar Mission – launched in April 2022 – focuses on developing and rejuvenating 75 water bodies in each district of the country as part of celebration of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsava.
• Atal Bhujal Yojana is being implemented by central government in collaboration with
  states. It has an outlay of Rs 6,000 crores and is being implemented in certain water
  stressed areas of Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The Primary aim of the scheme is demand side management through scientific means based on water budgeting of the area involving local communities at village levels leading to sustainable groundwater management in targeted areas.

Institutions:-

Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) has been constituted under Section 3(3) of the “Environment (Protection) Act, 1986” for the purpose of regulating and control of ground
water by industries, mining projects, infrastructure, projects etc. in the country.

• The latest guidelines in this regard with Pan- India applicability was notified by
  Minsitry in 2020. CGWA and State issues No Objection Certificate (NOC) for
  extraction of groundwater to various industries/project proponents as per their
  jurisdiction and as per the extant guidelines.
• CGWA is also implementing National Acquifer Mapping Program (NAQUIM) in the country. These reports along with management plans are shared with States/Uts for suitable intervention.
• MoHUA has formulated Model Building By Laws (MBBL), 2016 for the states/ Uts, wherein adequate focus has been given on requirement of rainwater harvesting and water conservation measures. 35 states/Uts have adopted the features of the Model Bye Laws.
• Major and Medium projects under Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Program are also reducing dependency on ground water extraction.

Way Forward:

• Controlling over-extraction:
  i. Rationalizing Energy Pricing – to make it expensive to withdraw groundwater
  ii. Reforming MSP regime – to encourage the production of oilseeds, pulses etc. instead of water guzzling crops.
  iii. Incentive Driven – Volumetric Water Pricing – This will motivate the economy in water use.
  • Direct and visible incentives are required for the economy in terms of water use
    and diversifying the cropping pattern in the state.

iv. Improving Water Use Efficiency in Agri-Sector: Micro-irrigation, less water intensive
crops.
v. Development of high yielding varieties of crops such as pulses, millets etc. The increased productivity can play a crucial role in encouraging farmers to move away from water guzzlers.
vi. Enforcing Groundwater regulations – To ensure groundwater is used in a sustainable
manner.

• Recharging Groundwater:
  • Protecting and rehabilitating wetlands; Watershed Management (small and large check dams)
    • For e.g. the state of Maharashtra have started there own Managed Aquifer
      Recharge Program such as the Jalyukt Shivar.
  • Rainwater Harvesting in urban areas could be crucial in reducing the extraction of groundwater.
    • Effectively implementing Building Laws – to make it mandatory for large houses to provide water harvesting facilities.
  • Pollution Control:
    • Reducing the Open Dumping of Municipal Solid Waste, controlling surface water pollution and strict action against water polluting industries.

Conclusion: Through these efforts, India can help to address the issue of groundwater depletion and ensure that this vital resource is available for future generations.

Example Questions:

• What are the major factors contributing to the depletion of groundwater resources in India? Suggest sustainable measures to address this issue [15 marks, 250 words]