India’s Groundwater Situation in Better Shape
Context:
- India occupies 2.4% of the planet’s territory and utilises 4% of its water resources while having about 18% of the world’s people. India is the country that consumes the most groundwater, per a World Bank research. The rapidly expanding economy and population are putting strain on the nation’s groundwater resources.
The groundwater condition in India:
- Due to its size, India has a variety of hydro-geological ecosystems. Groundwater is the cornerstone of India’s agriculture and drinking water security in rural and urban areas, meeting approximately 80% of the country’s drinking water demands and two-thirds of its irrigation needs.
- Groundwater is a significant factor in India’s water security. The fact that the theme of UN World Water Day in 2022 was “Groundwater, Making the Invisible Visible” reflects the significance of the resource.
- The federal government seeks to manage groundwater sustainably in collaboration with the States and Union Territories. The following are some of the process’ key deliverables: groundwater extraction is reduced by at least 70%.
- establishing digital water level recorders for immediate observation, increasing the groundwater surveillance well network, and regularly assessing the quality of the groundwater
- Aquifer mapping and data sharing
- better industrial regulation of groundwater extraction, participation in groundwater management, etc.
“Jal Shakti”:
- In May 2019, a crucial step toward policy reform was made by creating a Jal Shakti Ministry. (A merging of the formerly existing Ministries of Drinking Water and Sanitation, River Development, and Ganga Rejuvenation). This was done to aid in the management of water resources, with a focus on managing supply and demand in particular.
- On March 22, World Water Day, Jal Shakti Abhiyan was launched in honour of the importance of neighbourhood participation. Every region of the country is covered, whether urban and rural.
- The National Water Mission, which falls under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, is the main organisation for its implementation. It aims to change Jan Shakti into Jal Shakti through asset development, rainfall harvesting (the “Catch the Rain” campaign), and extensive awareness building.
Using science as a benchmark:
- Initiatives for groundwater management and control have also been established; two examples include the Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABY) and the National Project on Aquifer Management (NAQUIM).
- The goal of ABY is to promote the kind of behaviour adjustment made possible by incentives in order to achieve “participatory groundwater management.”
- Water-containing subterranean geological formations are known as aquifers, and NAQUIM, which is almost finished, seeks to map them in order to gather accurate data and enable informed decision-making.
- About 24 lakh square kilometres of the country have been mapped out of the almost 25 lakh square kilometres that can be mapped. Using both traditional exploratory methods and a heliborne based survey, quick and accurate aquifer mapping has been accomplished (state-of-the-art technology). The remaining area should be mapped by March 2023. Plans for managing aquifers are being developed for each region and shared with the States.
- Dynamic groundwater assessments will now be carried out yearly following the establishment of a groundwater estimates committee to review the assessment procedure. The “India-Groundwater Resource Estimation System (IN-GRES)” programme has also been developed.
Groundwater Assessment Report 2022:
- It is an organised and rational strategy to monitor priceless water supplies. The groundwater assessment’s findings also indicate a positive trend in groundwater management. According to the most current assessment, the number of groundwater units in the “overexploited” category has fallen by 3%, while the number of units in the “safe” category has increased by 4%. The condition of the groundwater has improved in 909 units.
- Additionally, the evaluation showed a decline in annual extraction (of about 9.53 billion cubic metres); the corresponding numbers for irrigation, industrial, and household use are 208.49 BCM, 3.64 BCM, and 27.05 BCM, respectively. The overall level of extraction has decreased by about 3.25 percent since 2017.
- This accomplishment may in part be attributed to the implementation of thorough groundwater standards for regulation in various areas in 2020 and the adoption of a web-based tool to make the procedures for awarding a no-objection certificate clear and time-bound.
- The steps taken by the government to enable a positive impact on India’s overall groundwater condition demonstrate the cooperative federalist attitude in the management of this unique resource.
Sustainable sources are required:
- To tackle anthropogenic strains, India, one of the economies with the fastest rate of growth in the world, would need enough groundwater resources. In order to provide safe drinking water to all rural people by 2024, it is essential to ensure source sustainability as part of the Jal Jeevan Mission, which is overseen by the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
- It was released in 2019 with the intention of realising Har Ghar Jal (water in every household). As a result, JJM intends to provide 55 litres of water per person per day through Functional Household Tap Connections to every rural household by 2024. (FHTC).
- Various governmental and non-governmental organisations will be required by communities to help them manage their groundwater resources more efficiently. Since there will be more uncertainty regarding groundwater resources as a result of climate change, efforts must be taken to find solutions that are essential for sustainable development.
Conclusion:
- The groundwater resource assessment report for 2022 expects better future groundwater conditions in the country since the initiatives taken by various governments have begun to show advantages. In order to attain “water for all,” a key Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of the United Nations, in this new chapter, steps must be done to transform India into a country with a water surplus.