About Groundwater systems in India and management strategies to decrease groundwater depletion.

1. GROUNDWATER SYSTEMS &
ITS DEPLETION, CAUSES
AND MEASURES ADOPTED IN
INDIA
KANDAKATLA PRANAY
B140628CE

2. TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. OVERVIEW OF INDIAN GROUNDWATER SYSTEMS
2. DEPLETION OF GROUNDWATER AND ITS CRISIS
3. MAJOR CHALLENGES FACED & ITS MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES AND
REGULATIONS
4. GROUNDWATER DEPLETION IN AGRICULTURAL SECTOR & MANAGEMENT
STRATEGIES
2

3. 1.1.INTRODUCTION
• AQUIFERS:-ROCK OR SOIL MASS IN WHICH WATER GETS STORED
• AQUIFER CATEGORIES- 1)HARD-ROCK AQUIFERS OF PENINSULAR INDIA-68%
2)ALLLUVIAL AQUIFERS OF INDO-GANGETIC PLAIN-32%
• GROUNDWATER:-WATER WHICH GETS SEEPS THROUGH ROCK AND SOIL MASS
AND GETS STORED BELOW GROUND SURFACE
3

4. 1.2.DISTRIBUTION OF GROUNDWATER
• AS OF APRIL 2015, INDIA’S WATER POTENTIAL IS 1,869 BCM/YEAR OUT OF
WHICH 1,123 BCM/YEAR IS USABLE.
• OUT OF 1,123 BCM/YEAR, SURFACE WATER-690 BCM/YEAR
GROUNDWATER-433 BCM/YEAR
• 35 BCM/YEAR IS NATURAL DISCHARGE, NET ANNUAL GROUNDWATER
AVAILABILITY OF INDIA IS 398 BCM.
• GROUNDWATER RESOURCES ASSESSMENT WITHIN DISTRICTS-
WATERSHEDS/BLOCKS/MADALAS/TALUKAS
4

5. FIG.1.GROUNWATER
DISTRIBUTION
AMONG DIFFERENT
STATES
GROUNDWATER IS AVAILABLE AT
HIGHER DEPTHS IN NORTHERN
INDIA,WHICH CAN BE MORE THAN 10
METRES.
HIGHER DEPTH WATER CAN BE
EXTRACTED BY USING
SOPHISTICATED EQUIPMENTS.
(SOURCE:-CGWB)
5

6. 1.2.DISTRIBUTION OF GROUNDWATER
• GROUNDWATER DEVELOPMENT:- RATIO OF ANNUAL GROUNDWATER
EXTRACTION TO THE NET ANNUAL GROUNDWATER AVAILABILITY.
• IT INDICATES THE QUANTITY OF GROUNDWATER AVAILABLE FOR USE
• DELHI,HARYANA,PUNJAB AND RAJASTHAN HAD VERY HIGH GROUNDWATER
DEVELOPMENT OF VALUES ABOVE 100%
• MEGHALAYA,MANIPUR,ARUNACHAL PRADESH HAD VERY LOW GROUNDWATER
DEVELOPMENT VALUES
6

7. 1.2.DISTRIBUTION OF GROUNDWATER
• BASED ON GROUNDWATER DEVELOPMENT VALUES COMPARITIVE STATUS OF
INDIA(2011) ARE
1. SAFE(0-70%):- 71 DISTRICTS
2. SEMI-CRITICAL(70-90%):-10 DISTRICTS,CAUTIOUSLY USE
3. CRITICAL(90-100%):- 4 DISTRICTS,INTENSIVE MONITERING AND EVALUATION
4. OVEREXPLOITED(>100%):- 15 DISTRICTS,CONSERVATION MEASURES ARE
ADOPTED TO AVOID FUTURE GW DEPLETION
7

8. 2.1.GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION
• GEOGENIC CONTAMINANTS-ARSENIC,FLUORIDE,NITRATE AND IRON
• BACTERIA,PHOSPHATES,HEAVY METALS,DOMESTIC SEWAGE,AGRICULTURAL
PRACTICES AND INDUSTRIAL EFFLUENTS
• AQUEOUS FLUORIDE IS THE IMPORTANT CONSTITUENT WHICH SEVERLEY
CONTAMINATES THE GROUNDWATER IN ISC
• IRON IS MAJOR CONTAMINANT IN 24 STATES AND 297 DISTRICTS
• 60% OF INDIAN STATES HAD ISSUES WITH GROUNDWATER QUALITY OR
GROUNDWATER AVAILABILITY AND DEPLETION OR BOTH
8

9. 2.2.GROUNDWATER DEPLETION
• INDIA RANKED HIGHEST IN GROUNDWATER USE GLOBALLY WITH 250 BCM/YEAR
• 80% FOR IRRIGATION BY WELLS EQUIPPED WITH ELECTRIC PUMPS
• 130-FOLD INCREASE IN IRRIGATION WELLS FROM 1960 TO 2000
• EVENTHOUGH 119 CM/YEAR OF ANNUAL AVERAGE RAINFALL,BECAUSE OF
UNEVEN DISTRIBUTION OF RAINFALL GROUNDWATER IS ALTERNATE
• WORLD BANK WARNED THAT INDIA IS ON THE BRINK OF SEVERE WATER CRISIS
9

10. 2.3.ESTIMATION OF GROUNDWATER
DEPLETION
• GROUNDWATER STORAGE VARIATIONS CAN BE ISOLATED FROM GRACE DATA
GIVEN AUXILIARY INFORMATION ON THE OTHER COMPONENTS OF TWS, FROM
EITHER IN-SITU OBSERVATIONS OR LAND-SURFACE MODELS
• TIME SERIES OF GROUNDWATER STORAGE ESTIMATED FOR AREAS RAJASTHAN
(342,239KM2), PUNJAB (50,362KM2) AND HARYANA (45,695KM2 INCLUDING THE
NATIONAL CAPITAL TERRITORY OF DELHI) BETWEEN AUGUST 2002 AND
OCTOBER 2008
10

11. FIG.2.GROUNDWATER
WITHDRAWLS AS
PERCENTAGE OF
RECHARGE(SOURCE:-GRACE)
• THE REGIONS ARE SEMI-ARID TO
ARID TYPE WITH AVERAGE 50CM
ANNUAL RAINFALL
• MASSIVE INCREASE IN AGRICULTURE
HAS INCREASED THE USE OF
GROUNDWATER FOR MAJOR CROPS
LIKE WHEAT,RICE AND BARLEY
• REGION IS UNDERLAIN BY THE
INDUS RIVER PLAIN AQUIFER, A
560,000KM2 UNCONFINED-TO-
SEMICONFINED POROUS ALLUVIAL
FORMATION
11

12. 2.3.ESTIMATION OF GROUNDWATER
DEPLETION
1. DEPLETION IS MAINLY DUE TO HUMAN CONSUMPTION RATHER THAN
NATURAL VARIABILITY WITH WHICH WITHDRAWLS EXCEED RECHARGE AMONG
THE STATES AND IRRIGATION ACCOUNTS FOR 95%; 28% AREA IS IRRIGATED
2. NO SHORTAGE OF RAINFALL IN THE REGION FOR DECLINE IN GROUNDWATER
STORAGE
• IN CLIMATOLOGICAL MEAN, 2002 WAS A DRY YEAR AND 2003 & 2008 ARE WET
YEARS AND OTHER YEARS ARE NORMAL
• MOST OF THE GROUNDWATER WITHDRAWN SUBSEQUENTLY IS LOST FROM THE
REGION BECAUSE OF INCREASES IN RUN-OFF AND/OR EVAPOTRANSPIRATION
12

13. 2.4.GROUNDWATER CRISIS
• CURRENT TRENDS IT IS ESTIMATED THAT 60% OF GROUNDWATER SOURCES WILL
BE IN A CRITICAL STATE OF DEGRADATION WITHIN THE NEXT TWENTY YEARS
• RECENT SATELLITE MEASUREMENTS INDICATE AN AVERAGE DECLINE IN
33CM/YEAR FROM 2002 TO 2008, MOST AFFECTED WAS NORTH-WESTERN
STATES
• MORE THAN 70% OF INDIA’S SURFACE WATER RESOURCES ARE POLLUTED BY
HUMAN WASTE OR TOXIC CHEMICALS— GROUNDWATER HAS OFTEN BEEN A
SAFE ALTERNATIVE
• HENCE, AN URGENT NEED FOR FRAMING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF STRINGENT
POLICIES FOR REDUCING FUTURE GW DEPLETION
13

14. MAJOR CHALLENGES IN GW MANAGEMENT
STRATEGIES AND REGULATIONS
1.ESTIMATION OF GW RESOURCES
• CURRENT ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY USES 15,640 OBSERVATION WELLS FOR OVER
30 MILLION GROUND WATER STRUCTURES, WHICH MAKES THE AVAILABLE DATA
INDICATIVE AND NOT REPRESENTATIVE
STRATEGIES:-PLANNING COMMISION WORKING GROUP ON SUSTAINABLE GW
MANAGEMENT
STRENGTHENING DATA BASE MANAGEMENT, ADOPTING ALTERNATIVE TECHNIQUES
FOR RECHARGE ASSESSMENT,MAPPING AQUIFERS EFFECTIVELY
CGWB STARTED NATIONAL PROJECT ON AQUIFER AND MANAGEMENT(NAQUIM)
IDENTIFYING AND MAPPING AQUIFERS, QUANTIFYING THE AVAILABLE GROUND
WATER POTENTIAL, PROPOSING PLANS APPROPRIATE TO THE SCALE OF DEMAND,
AQUIFER CHARACTERISTICS AND THE INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR
MANAGEMENT 14

15. MAJOR CHALLENGES IN GW MANAGEMENT
STRATEGIES AND REGULATION
2.AGRICULTURAL CROP PRICING & WATER INTENSIVE CROPS
• PRIMARY CAUSE OF OVER-EXPLOITATION HAS BEEN THE RISING DEMAND FOR GROUND WATER
FROM AGRICULTURE
• FCI BY MINIMUM SUPPORT PRICES(MSP) ADOPTED FOR WHEAT AND PADDY CREATES HIGHLY
SKEWED INCENTIVE STRUCTURES WHICH ARE WATER INTENSIVE CROPS
STRATEGIES:- CROPPING PATTERN NEEDED TO BE DIVERSIFIED BY PROVING BETTER PRICE
SUPPORT FOR PULSES AND OIL SEEDS
 USE OF DEMAND MANAGEMENT IN AGRICULTURE TO ADDRESS EXCESSIVE GROUND WATER
EXPLOITATION
 DRY-SEASON CROP PLANNING FOR A SPECIFIC AREA DEPENDING ON THE AQUIFER TYPE,
GROUND WATER EXTRACTION, MONSOONAL RAINFALL AND THE WATER TABLE LEVEL
 ADOPTION OF MODERN PRECISION IRRIGATION TECHNOLOGIES SUCH AS DRIP AND SPRINKLER
SYSTEMS 15

16. MAJOR CHALLENGES IN GW MANAGEMENT
STRATEGIES AND REGULATION
3.ENERGY SUBSIDIES AND GW
EXTRACTION
• 89% FOR IRRIGATION-POWER IS A MAIN FOR
EXTRACTION OF GW FROM WELLS
 STRATEGIES:-THE DRAFT NATIONAL
FRAMEWORK BILL, 2013 SUGGESTED GW
EXTRACTION SHOULD BE CURTAILED BY USE
OF ELECTRICITY
 NATIONAL WATER POLICY, 2012
RECOMMENDS THAT THE OVER EXTRACTION
GW SHOULD BE MINIMIZED BY REGULATING
THE USE OF ELECTRICITY, SEPARATE
ELECTRIC FEEDERS FOR PUMPING GROUND
WATER FOR AGRICULTURAL USE COULD
ADDRESS THE ISSUE
4.INADEQUATE REGULATION
OF GW FLOW
• SECTION 7(G) OF THE EASEMENT ACT,
1882 STATES THAT EVERY OWNER OF
LAND HAS THE RIGHT TO COLLECT
AND DISPOSE WITHIN HIS OWN LIMITS
ALL WATER UNDER THE LAND AND ON
ITS SURFACE WHICH DOES NOT PASS IN
A DEFINED CHANNEL
STRATEGIES:-CGWB DOES NOT HAVE
THE POWER TO STOP GROUND WATER
EXTRACTION IN SUCH AREAS AND CAN
ONLY NOTIFY THE OWNERS
16

17. CHALLENGES IN GW MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES
AND REGULATION
5.QUALITY OF GW
• CAG IN PERFORMANCE AUDIT OF WATER
POLLUTION OBSERVED INCREASE OF WATER
POLLUTION BY GEOGENIC CONTAMINANTS,
HEAVY METALS AND NO PROGRAM IS
IMPLEMENTED BY GOVT.
 STRATEGIES:- NEEDS TO ESTABLISH
ENFORCEABLE WATER QUALITY STANDARDS
FOR LAKES, RIVERS AND GROUNDWATER
 PENALTIES NEED TO BE LEVIED FOR
VIOLATIONS OF WATER QUALITY STANDARDS
 SOURCE CONTROL OF POLLUTANTS THROUGH
SEWAGE AND AGRICULTURE RUNOFF
6.LOCAL MANAGEMENT OF
GW
 MAINTAINING GROUND WATER BALANCE AT
THE LEVEL OF THE VILLAGE OR THE
WATERSHED
 IDENTIFICATION OF GROUND WATER
RECHARGE AREAS
 DETERMINING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
SURFACE HYDROLOGICAL UNITS SUCH AS
WATERSHED, RIVER BASINS AND AQUIFERS
 CREATING REGULATORY OPTIONS AT THE
COMMUNITY LEVEL SUCH AS PANCHAYAT
17

18. GROUNDWATER DEPLETION IN AGRICULTURAL
SECTOR & MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES
• AROUND 38 PERCENT OF THE WORLD’S IRRIGATED AREA IS IRRIGATED WITH
GROUNDWATER, AND GROUNDWATER RELIANCE IS MUCH HIGHER IN INDIA,
WHERE GROUNDWATER SUSTAINS 60 PERCENT OF AGRICULTURE, WORLD BANK
2010
• THIS LEAD TO SUBSTANTIAL DECREASE IN GW LEVELS THUS HAVE IMPACT ON
GW STRESS AND AGRICULTURAL OUTCOMES
• A 1-METER DECLINE IN GROUNDWATER LEVEL IN A YEAR REDUCES FOOD-GRAIN
PRODUCTION BY 8%, WATER INTENSIVE CROP PRODUCTION BY 9% AND CASH
CROPS BY 5%
18

19. FIG.3.INCREASE IN
GROUNDWATER
UTILIZATION FOR
IRRIGATION(SOURCE:-
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE,
2014)
• FOR SHORT RUN SHOCKS TO
GROUNDWATER, AREA UNDER
CULTIVATION FALLS BY 7-8%
 SUGGESTING THAT FARMERS
RESORT TO INTENSIFYING THE
USE OF INPUTS TO MAINTAIN
THEIR YIELDS
19

20. “
”
THANK YOU
20

21. Questions…?
21