Growing demand for agriculture, industrialisation and sation worsened by low intensity rain and ineffective policies is leaving the country’s wells high and dry!
According to Government data, water levels in more than half of the total wells that are being monitored by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) have declined as per analysis of pre-monsoon water level data 2018 when compared with the decadal average (2008-2017) water level data.
Figure wise, water level in the total 14,235 wells was monitored, of which 7412 wells ie 52 per cent reported decline in the water level during the period.
Maximum decline was reported from Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu and Haryana while just 45 wells out of the 14,243 wells as analysed by the water regulatory body, have shown no change in water level during the period.
The CGWB carries out groundwater monitoring four times a year in different states on regional scale through a network of observation wells in the Country.
“In order to assess the declining/rising trend in water level on a long-term basis, pre-monsoon water level data 2018 has been compared with the decadal average (2008-2017) water level. Analysis of data indicated decline in ground water level in about 52 per cent of the wells being monitored,” said a senior official from the Union Water Resources Ministry.
He said that water is State subject. Hence, initiatives on water management including conservation and artificial recharge to ground water and revival of water bodies in the country are primarily responsibility of the State Governments.
Groundwater depletion is primarily caused by sustained groundwater pumping. There are around 30 million groundwater structures in India that are replenished by around 3 million perennial springs in the country, but very little is done to preserve them, according to a study.
Declining water level plus increasing population is affecting per capita water availability too in the country. As per various government reports, the average annual per capita water availability in the years 2001 and 2011 was assessed as 1820 cubic meters and 1545 cubic meters respectively which may reduce further to 1340 and 1140 in the years 2025 and 2050 respectively.
States on their part are not doing sufficient to ensure recharging of ground water. For instance, the Water Resources Ministry has circulated a Model Bill to all the States/UTs to enable them to enact suitable ground water legislation for its regulation and development which includes provision of rain water harvesting. However, so only 15 States/UTs have adopted and implemented the ground water legislation on the lines of the Model Bill.
Similarly, under the CGWB;s “The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986” which is meant for the purpose of regulation and control of ground water development and management in the country, just 162 areas have been notified in the country for the purpose of regulation of ground water.
Regarding the steps initiated by the Centre, the official referred to ‘Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABHY)’ launched with an aim to improve ground water management in select over-exploited and ground water stressed areas in identified priority States (Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh) through implementation of various interventions to ensure long-term sustainability of ground water resources with community participation.
The CGWB has also prepared a conceptual document titled “Master Plan for Artificial Recharge to Ground Water in India” during the year 2013 envisaging construction of 1.11 Crore Rainwater Harvesting and Artificial Recharge structures in the country to harness 85 Billion Cubic Meters (BCM) of water.