India must continue with path-breaking Atal Bhujal Yojana to protect water

Participatory groundwater management is the lifeline of India's economy and society

One of the most remarkable but unsung initiatives of the Modi government — and for this it has not received enough credit — is the Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABHY), launched in 2019. Aimed at fostering a participatory approach towards groundwater management, the ABHY has been a great success.

 

India is the largest consumer of groundwater in the world. China and the United States (US) come next, but India’s consumption is greater than these two countries’ put together. Groundwater provides 80 per cent of India’s urban and rural drinking water, nearly 70 per cent of our irrigation needs, as also 90