Date : 05/09/2023

Relevance – GS Paper - 3- Environmental Issues

Keywords – World Bank, Mihir Shah Committee, CAG, Overexploitation

Context –

India, with nearly 18% of the world's population and occupying about 2.4% of the world's land area, currently utilizes 4% of the global water resources. A World Bank report has highlighted that India stands as the largest consumer of groundwater worldwide. With the country's expanding economy and population, the demand for groundwater is expected to increase further, placing additional stress on India's groundwater reserves. This heightened demand has significantly strained India's groundwater resources, which are fundamental to the nation's agricultural and urban water supply needs. Experts contend that there are notable shortcomings in the governance of groundwater resources in India, hindering conservation efforts. To combat declining groundwater levels, reforms in groundwater governance and the promotion of prudent groundwater utilization are considered essential measures.

The rate of depletion of groundwater in India during 2041-2080 will be thrice the current rate with global warming, according to a new report published in Science Advances open access multidisciplinary journal.

The key findings of the Report

• Impact of Warming on Groundwater Depletion: As the country becomes warmer due to climate change, people in India are expected to extract more water from underground sources, leading to faster depletion of groundwater.
• Depletion Despite Increased Precipitation: This groundwater depletion is projected to occur despite anticipated increases in precipitation and potential decreases in irrigation use as groundwater levels decline.
• Triple Groundwater Depletion Rates: Under a business-as-usual scenario, the report suggests that continued warming may triple groundwater depletion rates over the coming decades. This finding is significant because more than 60% of India's irrigated agriculture relies on groundwater, and some regions in India are already experiencing severe groundwater depletion.
• Warming-Induced Increase in Irrigation: The study found that warming temperatures have prompted farmers to intensify groundwater withdrawals to meet the growing demand for irrigation. This increase in irrigation helps mitigate the negative effects of warming temperatures on crop water stress but accelerates groundwater depletion.
• Threat to Food and Water Security: The report highlights that this previously unquantified cost of adapting to warming temperatures is likely to pose a significant threat to India's food and water security over the coming decades.
• Historical Reasons for Overexploitation: Historically, policies that facilitated groundwater extraction, along with factors like increased access to borewells, free or subsidized electricity, and a lack of electricity metering, have contributed to overexploitation of groundwater by farmers.
• Recommended Policy Interventions: To address this issue and reduce overexploitation, the report recommends implementing effective policies such as rationing power supply, metering electricity usage, regional water resource development and allocation, rewarding farmers for groundwater recharge, and reducing or removing energy subsidies. Additionally, it suggests adopting groundwater-saving interventions like efficient irrigation technologies and cultivating less water-intensive crops.
• Future Expansion of Overexploitation: The study warns that warming-induced groundwater pumping is likely to expand the area facing groundwater overexploitation in the future. Currently, overexploitation is concentrated in northwest and south India, but it may extend to include aquifers in the southwest, the southern peninsula, and central India by 2050.
• Concerns for Hard Rock Aquifers: South and central India, which are at risk of expanding overexploitation, have hard rock aquifers that are more challenging to recharge and have lower storage capacity compared to the alluvial aquifers in northwest India. This makes them more vulnerable to groundwater depletion.
• Targeted Policies for Water-Saving: The report recommends targeting water-saving policies and interventions in these at-risk regions before substantial groundwater depletion occurs. This approach could help farmers maintain their ability to irrigate and cope with warming temperatures in the coming decades.

These findings underscore the urgent need for sustainable groundwater management and climate adaptation strategies in India to address the growing challenges posed by groundwater depletion in the face of climate change.

Status of Ground Water in India

As per the Ministry of Jal Shakti's recent report, India's annual groundwater recharge amounts to approximately 437.60 Billion Cubic Meters (BCM), while the extracted groundwater stands at 239.16 BCM. Notably, this extraction rate is the lowest recorded since 2004, when it was 231 BCM. The primary use of groundwater is for irrigation, accounting for 208.49 BCM, followed by domestic consumption at 27.05 BCM and industrial usage at 3.64 BCM.

According to a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in 2021, groundwater extraction in India has increased from 58% to 63% between 2004 and 2017, surpassing the rate of groundwater recharge.

The Central Groundwater Board of India reports that approximately 17% of groundwater blocks are overexploited, where the extraction rate exceeds the aquifer's recharge rate. Additionally, 5% of blocks are at a critical stage, and 14% are in a semi-critical condition. The most concerning situations are observed in three major regions: North-western, Western, and Southern peninsular India. According to the Groundwater Resource Assessment in 2022, there has been a 3% reduction in the number of 'overexploited' groundwater units and a 4% increase in 'safe' category units compared to 2017, indicating some improvements in groundwater conditions in 909 units.

The India Water Portal reveals that India utilizes 25% of the world's extracted groundwater, surpassing both the USA and China in groundwater consumption. Presently, around 70% of the water supply for agriculture in India relies on groundwater sources.

Importance of groundwater

• The livelihoods of more than 260 million farmers and agricultural laborers in India depend on groundwater as a crucial resource.
• In India, groundwater holds immense significance, constituting 63% of the total irrigation water supply and serving as the primary source for over 80% of both rural and urban domestic water needs.
• The majority of water for irrigation, approximately 61.6%, is sourced from various types of wells, including dug wells, shallow tube-wells, and deep tube wells. Canals contribute to about 24.5% of irrigation water supply.

Challenges associated with ground water in India

• Population Growth: The rapid increase in population places higher demands on water resources. The growing urban population adds to the challenges of managing waste and polluted water. India stands as the largest global user of groundwater, accounting for approximately 25% of the total withdrawal. Indian cities source approximately 48% of their water supply from groundwater, and as the population continues to rise, groundwater usage is expected to further escalate.
• Unplanned Urbanization: The expansion of urban areas, often without proper planning, reduces the natural infiltration of water into the ground. The lack of green spaces decreases evapotranspiration, leading to increased surface runoff and urban flooding. This disrupts the groundwater recharge process. Studies in the United States have shown that a 1% increase in impervious surface area can result in a 3.3% increase in urban flood magnitude.
• Alteration of Natural Landscape: Urban sprawl often alters the natural landscape, watersheds, and flow directions, affecting the groundwater cycle. This can lead to sharp declines or rises in groundwater levels, reduced well yields, and deteriorating water quality.
• Agricultural Practices: Agriculture is increasingly relying on tube-wells for irrigation. Combined with flawed crop cycles due to farm subsidies and electricity subsidies, this has led to excessive groundwater use, especially in Northwest India. Regions with the highest number of blocks facing critical groundwater levels include Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, and western Uttar Pradesh.
• Institutional and Management Gaps: Several bodies are involved in regulating groundwater, resulting in fragmented regulation and a lack of integrated and comprehensive management. There are inadequate legal provisions governing groundwater extraction, with groundwater rights tied to land ownership rights, which exclude those without land rights and allow landowners unrestricted water withdrawal. Numerous unaccounted and unregulated private water wells further compound the issue. The organizations responsible for managing India's groundwater lack accountability and responsibility. Additionally, there is a lack of comprehensive groundwater data, including uncertainty about aquifer boundaries, making it challenging to formulate clear management guidelines.
• Groundwater Pollution: Groundwater aquifers are being contaminated by infiltration and seepage from roads, industrial sites, waste dump sites, and effluent drains containing heavy metals and micro-pollutants. Microbiological contamination occurs through sewage systems. Elements like nitrate, arsenic, and fluoride are major contributors to groundwater pollution.
• Climate Change: Climate-related shocks worsen the groundwater crisis. Irregular rainfall patterns and prolonged droughts reduce groundwater recharge, leading to declining water tables in many regions.

Efforts taken to Improve Groundwater Use in India:

• Model Groundwater Bill: The Indian government has introduced several iterations of the Model Groundwater Bill over the years, including versions in 1970, 1992, 1996, 2005, 2011, and 2016-17. These bills aimed to establish a minimum level of control and recommended the establishment of State groundwater authorities. They also proposed registration for existing groundwater structures and a permit-based system, primarily applicable to new wells equipped with electrical pumps. The Model Groundwater (Sustainable Management) Bill of 2017 addresses key concerns in the existing regulatory framework and provides a comprehensive approach. Highlights include a strong environmental perspective on aquifer protection, a bottom-up institutional structure, prioritization of drinking water, decentralization, and the formation of local committees for groundwater management.
• Integration of Union Ministries: The Ministry of Jal Shakti was created through the merger of the former Ministries of Water Resources, River Development, Ganga Rejuvenation, Drinking Water, and Sanitation. This consolidation has strengthened the management of water resources, with a specific focus on demand and supply management.
• Initiatives: Several initiatives have been launched to promote sustainable groundwater management. These include:

• Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABY) and the National Project on Aquifer Management (NAQUIM), which promote participatory groundwater management. ABY aims to incentivize behavioral change, while NAQUIM focuses on mapping subsurface water-bearing geological formations (aquifers) to gather accurate data for informed decision-making.
• Jal Jeevan Mission, designed to provide safe drinking water to all rural households by 2024.
• India-Groundwater Resource Estimation System (IN-GRES), which conducts dynamic groundwater assessments annually and has developed a software tool called 'India-Groundwater Resource Estimation System (IN-GRES).'
• The Jal Shakti Abhiyan, which emphasizes community participation, asset creation, rainwater harvesting (through the 'Catch the Rain' campaign), and extensive awareness efforts.

These measures collectively aim to enhance groundwater governance and promote sustainable groundwater use across India.

What Steps Need to be Taken to Enhance Groundwater Use and Governance in India?

• Implementation of Mihir Shah Committee Recommendations: To address groundwater challenges, the following recommendations should be implemented:

• Restructuring and unification of the Central Water Commission (CWC) and the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) to create a National Water Commission (NWC) responsible for water policy, data, and governance.
• Establishment of eight NWC divisions, including those focused on aquifer mapping and participatory groundwater management, water quality, and knowledge management.
• Recognition of groundwater as a common pool resource, with measures to regulate extraction, drilling depth, well spacing, and cropping patterns.

• Embrace Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM): Adopt the IWRM framework for coordinated development and management of water, land, and related resources.
• Implement Water-Sensitive Urban Design and Planning: Promote urban planning that manages groundwater, surface water, and rainwater to meet water demand and supply.
• Adopt Blue-Green Infrastructure Approach: Incorporate green and blue spaces, such as parks, rivers, wetlands, and water utilities, into waterbody and aquifer rejuvenation efforts.
• Public Awareness and Participation: Foster public awareness, engagement, and trust-building between formal water institutions and communities to enhance groundwater management.
• Review Agriculture Policies: Reevaluate agricultural policies, align cropping patterns with local agro-ecology, and consider scrapping farm subsidies on electricity to rationalize groundwater use in agriculture.

These measures collectively aim to improve the sustainable use and governance of groundwater in India.

Conclusion

Groundwater usage in India has seen slight improvements according to the latest assessment. Nevertheless, the mounting pressure on groundwater resources, driven by factors such as population growth, urbanization, and climate change uncertainties, necessitates a proactive approach to groundwater management. Reforming the governance framework for water management in India is essential. The promotion of prudent and sustainable groundwater use should be a priority, achieved through extensive awareness campaigns and active community participation.

Source – The Hindu, WRI, Down to Earth