The groundwater reality

Prima facie, the Groundwater Resource Assessment Report 2023, released early this month, presents a reassuring picture of the state of this vital natural resource, though its fine-print also reveals some disquieting aspects concerning its indiscriminate exploitation and quality degradation in several key agricultural belts and urban centres. The report shows that groundwater recharge and the amount of extractable water have increased while its withdrawal has decreased, thereby resulting in an overall improvement in the subsurface water regime.
 

This is a welcome indication, given that groundwater is the mainstay of irrigation and drinking-water supply in most rural and urban areas. It accounts for over 60 per cent of irrigation, 85 per cent of rural water supply, and 50 per cent of urban water consumption. Its extravagant use is making it scarce in many areas despite being a renewable resource. The replenishment of this aquifer occurs chiefly through rainfall; seepage from rivers, canals, ponds, and other water bodies; and the return flow of irrigation water. Measures being taken under various rainwater-harvesting and water conservation programmes, including the government’s flagship Atal Bhujal Yojana, have also contributed to enhanced groundwater replenishment.
 

The Assessment Report, put together by the Central Ground Water Board with inputs from states, reckons the total water recharge in 2023 to be around 449.53 billion cubic metres (BCM), up 11.48 BCM, or 2.6 per cent, from 437.60 BCM in 2022. As a result, the amount of potentially extractable water has swelled from 398.08 BCM last year to 407.21 BCM this year. At the same time, the rate of water withdrawal has dropped from 60.08 per cent last year to 59.26 per cent this year, continuing the downtrend noticed since 2017, when it was 63.3 per cent.
 

On the downside, which is worrisome, groundwater in roughly 11 out of every 100 blocks is overexploited. In some places, such as Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, and Sangrur and Malerkotla in Punjab, the withdrawal of groundwater is three times the annual recharge. On the whole, water extraction exceeds yearly replenishment in as many as 94 districts of different states, mostly in the major grain-growing tracts of the north-western, central and southern regions. Experts do not rule out the possibility of groundwater turning inaccessible in many of these areas in the foreseeable future.
 

Another report on groundwater, presented to Parliament by the standing committee on water resources in March 2023, has also highlighted several ills afflicting this resource. It pointed out that about 14 per cent of the groundwater assessment units across the country were overexploited while 4 per cent were categorised as critical. The share of groundwater in irrigation is estimated by this panel at 80-90 per cent in at least 11 states, including Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Rajasthan. Punjab leads the pack with this share being a massive 97 per cent. Water-guzzling crops, notably paddy and sugarcane, are predominantly grown in many of these areas. Heavy dependence on groundwater for meeting agricultural and domestic needs and the supply of free, or highly subsidised, power for irrigation are largely responsible for its excessive use.

That said, the dismaying fact also is that reckless tapping is not the only bane of the groundwater stock. Its contamination with toxic elements due to geogenic (naturally occurring) and anthropogenic (caused by human activity) factors is also rampant. It has rendered groundwater unfit for drinking in many areas. Major health consequences have been reported from places where polluted groundwater is used for domestic purposes for want of access to clean water from other sources.
 

According to the parliamentary committee report, groundwater in 370 districts of 23 states has been contaminated with fluoride, while in 341 districts of 27 states, it has a high iron content. Besides, water in over 90 districts of 14 states has a menacingly high level of lead. In 230 districts of 25 states, groundwater contains highly hazardous arsenic. High salinity has also been observed in groundwater in 249 districts of 18 states. Significantly, the report names Delhi, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, and Hyderabad among the major cities affected by water pollution.

There is, indeed, no dearth of laws and regulations to promote sustainable use of groundwater and preserve its quality. The Centre has circulated a model Groundwater (Sustainable Management) Bill to serve as the guide for the states to amend their water-related statutes on the suggested lines. It provides for demarcating natural groundwater-recharging zones and the areas requiring special attention to deal with the problem of water salinity and toxicity. However, no more than 15 states have so far modified their local water laws. The need, therefore, is to enact and, more importantly, effectively enforce well-advised regulations concerning groundwater extraction and rainwater harvesting to improve the health of this vital natural resource. Also, the cultivation of water-intensive crops should be discouraged in the areas facing rapid depletion of groundwater. There is no room for any laxity on this front.

surinder.sud@gmail.com