Rational use of groundwater

Pricing and regulation of all forms of water use needed

The Planning Commission’s advice to the Haryana government to levy a cess on agricultural power to raise funds for replenishing dwindling groundwater is wise counsel that is likely to fall on deaf ears. There is no denying that the continuous decline in groundwater levels across the subcontinent and weak attempts at replenishment constitute a grave threat to human security in this part of the world. Haryana is not a lonely sinner. Punjab, western Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan in its vicinity are equally guilty of extracting more groundwater than is naturally replenished, causing the water table to decline sharply. Though the gains from tapping groundwater for crop production have, in the past, been spectacular, it has now reached a stage where it is jeopardising the future of agriculture in this key bread basket of the country. What is worse, in peninsular India, including Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, groundwater use has reached an unsustainable level. India is the world’s largest user of groundwater because of the seasonal nature of the monsoons and the need to draw on a few weeks supply of rainwater over an entire year. What is, therefore, worrying is that India is also the world’s most wasteful user of groundwater. A recent World Bank report says that of India’s 5,723 groundwater blocks, as many as 1,615, or 29 per cent, are now classified as over-exploited, critical or semi-critical, depending on the extent of depletion of aquifers. If the trend endures unabated, 60 per cent of all groundwater aquifers would be in a critical state in 20 years.

Therefore, curbs on unsustainable use of groundwater are indispensable. The suggestion of the planning commission seems implementable only in those states where agricultural power is metered and priced. But in states where governments are supplying power for agricultural purposes free or at highly subsidised rates, imposition of a cess will be politically difficult. Any regulation of groundwater use through executive orders would also be difficult as it involves too many small users — there being over 21 million tubewells in operation today. The Central Ground Water Authority has issued regulatory directives for over 100 critical water blocks, but neither the Authority nor the state agencies have the manpower or resources to enforce these regulations. However, there are other ways to check excessive withdrawal of groundwater. Punjab has passed a legislation prohibiting early planting of paddy (in the hot and dry months of May) to cut down on water absorption by this water-guzzling crop. Haryana has followed suit. But more needs to be done. A community management approach — making the local community responsible for sustainable groundwater management — is said to have worked well in the drought-prone areas of Andhra Pradesh. Gujarat has shown that restricted, but assured, power supply according to an announced schedule can also be helpful. However, such measures need also to be supplemented with actions aimed specifically at promoting percolation of rainwater down to subsurface aquifers to refill them. Watershed development technology is available for such rainwater harvesting. However, since watersheds cut across political and administrative boundaries of blocks, districts and even states, appropriate institutional devices will have to be created to ensure cooperative management of water use.