Statsguru: Adequate groundwater buffers can help reduce pain of drought

India’s groundwater consumption promp­ted a recent World Bank report to call the country “the world’s largest guzzler of groundwater”. Increasing urbanisation and accelerated localised demand had pushed the per capita availability of water in India to a “water-stressed condition” for the first time in 2011. This implied annual per capita water availability of less than 1,700 cubic metres.

India had 398 billion cubic metres of extractable groundwater resources in 2022, recharged largely by the monsoons. The usage continued to go up even after 2011, but moderated after 2013, according to data from government reports (charts 1, 2). However, experts have expressed doubts over the credibility of improved water statistics owing to the loss of wetlands and riverbeds. India uses water largely for irrigation. Industrial and domestic use has risen in recent times, but still accounts for only around a tenth of the overall numbers, with very little change over the last decade (chart 3).

Overexploitation is concentrated in a few states. Overexploitation means extraction that is in excess of annual recharge. It is highest in Punjab (76.4 per cent), Rajasthan (74.9 per cent) and Haryana (62.7 per cent). Tamil Nadu and Karnataka also have higher than average numbers (chart 4).

India has a higher withdrawal of freshwater relative to available sources than many in South Asia. Only Pakistan and Sri Lanka are higher among key neighbours (chart 5).

The World Bank report suggested that adequate groundwater buffers can help reduce the economic pain of drought. Groundwater availability can halve the losses in agricultural productivity due to rainfall variations. It cited studies showing an increased probability of stunting among children due to rainfall shocks. It also pointed out that women are more likely to drop out of education or employment amid decreased water availability because they are often required to spend more time securing water requirements for the family.

The most recent data on wells showed a small improvement in water levels. Around 28 per cent of analysed wells had water within five metres below ground level in 2016. In 2020, this rose to 33 per cent.