Necessity for Groundwater Management in India 

Syllabus:GS3/Environment

In News 

• Recently, it has been highlighted that Population growth and development are straining groundwater, requiring sustainable management.

Groundwater  

• Groundwater is freshwater stored underground in soil and rocks, which sustains rivers, streams, and wetland habitats.
• Layers that store and transmit this water are called aquifers.
• Groundwater can naturally feed springs and rivers or be extracted through wells, tube wells, and borewells.
• It comprises nearly 99% of Earth’s liquid freshwater and offers substantial social, economic, and environmental benefits, including climate resilience. 

Scenario of India 

• In India, groundwater serves as the primary foundation of agricultural activity and drinking water supply, meeting nearly 62% of irrigation needs, 85% of rural consumption, and 50% of urban demand. 
• India has a network of 43,228 groundwater level monitoring stations, comprising stations operated by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB).
  • The CGWB regularly monitors groundwater levels nationwide through its regional network of observation wells.
• Groundwater management, as part of integrated water resources management, focuses on understanding aquifers, addressing threats, and ensuring the long-term sustainability of groundwater systems.

Necessity for Groundwater Management

• India has vast but regionally varied groundwater resources, which are increasingly stressed due to over-extraction, deteriorating quality, and weak regulation, threatening long-term sustainability.
• Rising pressure on groundwater systems: Intensive and largely unregulated pumping has led to rapid and widespread declines in water tables across many parts of the country, signifying growing dependence on subsurface sources.
• Degradation of water quality: Contamination arising from mining activities, industrial effluents, and agricultural practices, combined with naturally occurring elements such as arsenic and fluoride, has progressively impaired groundwater quality, posing long-term environmental and public health risks.
• Drivers of uncontrolled abstraction: The sharp increase in groundwater extraction has been driven by the availability of affordable drilling techniques and pumping technologies, enabling even small farmers and low-income households to construct and operate private tube wells.

Initiatives and Commitments 

• The growing groundwater crisis has strengthened the Government’s commitment to effective management, reaffirmed by India’s COP 21 commitment to climate resilience and long-term growth.
  • Effective groundwater management is vital for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 6, SDG 11, and SDG 12.
• The Model Groundwater Bill : It provides a regulatory framework for States to control groundwater extraction and encourage sustainable practices.
  •  The Bill has been adopted by 21 States/UTs, and the Centre continues to engage with States through meetings, seminars, and the NISC to promote responsible groundwater management.
• Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain (JSA: CTR) was launched in 2021 to promote nationwide awareness and community action for water conservation.
  • The campaign focuses on rainwater harvesting, scientific management of water bodies, setting up Jal Shakti Kendras, afforestation, and awareness generation. 
• Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB), launched in 2024 under the JSA: Catch the Rain campaign, aims to enhance groundwater recharge through rainwater harvesting, aquifer and borewell recharge, and recharge shafts.
• The National Aquifer Mapping and Management Programme (NAQUIM) (2012–2023) aimed to characterise aquifers, assess groundwater availability and quality, prepare aquifer maps, and support sustainable groundwater management.
  •  NAQUIM 2.0 (2023–present), implemented by the CGWB, builds on this by providing high-resolution groundwater data and issue-based scientific inputs up to the Panchayat level, with a focus on water-stressed and vulnerable areas.
• The Master Plan for Artificial Recharge to Groundwater–2020 promotes terrain-specific recharge techniques based on water availability and aquifer capacity to address regional groundwater challenges.
  •  It emphasises surface and subsurface recharge in rural areas and rainwater harvesting in urban, hilly, and coastal regions.
• Atal Bhujal Yojana (Atal Jal), launched in 2019, promotes community-led sustainable groundwater management in water-stressed areas of seven States.
  • It supports Jal Jeevan Mission, farmers’ income growth, and responsible water use through awareness, capacity building, and scientific planning. The five-year scheme has a ₹6,000 crore outlay, with funding for institutional strengthening and incentive-based, results-oriented outcomes.
• Mission Amrit Sarovar: Launched in 2022, Mission Amrit Sarovar supports the creation of Amrit Sarovars (ponds) across all districts in the country. Each pond is planned to have a minimum area of one acre (0.4 hectare) and a water storage capacity of about 10,000 cubic metres.

Conclusion and Way Forward 

• Groundwater is vital to India’s water security but faces growing stress from overextraction, quality decline, and climate variability. 
• To address this, India has adopted a comprehensive approach led by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, integrating policy reforms, scientific assessment, infrastructure development, and community participation.
  • Key initiatives collectively strengthen groundwater regulation, recharge, monitoring, and demand management, supported by robust data systems and local institutions, laying the foundation for sustainable, climate-resilient groundwater governance.

Source :PIB