"Launch research initiative to mainstream groundwater into urban water supply" - Arghyam’s inputs to the 2013-14 pre-budget consultation of the Finance Minister with social sector groups

These were the inputs given by Rohini Nilekani, Chairperson, Arghyam, to the Finance Minister at the pre-budget consultation event that took place on 4th January, 2013.

The on-going transformation of human settlements from rural to urban areas over a period of time has had a severe impact on natural resources. The immediate and noticeable impact of urbanisation has been on groundwater. While it remains as an essential source of urban water supply, its over-exploitation has led to the falling of water tables and also depletion of water resources in particular geographical regions of the country. Deterioration of the groundwater quality is also increasing at a rapid pace. Thus managing and sustaining groundwater in India has become a challenging task.

Under such circumstances mainstreaming groundwater into urban water supply planning and implementation is becoming essential. This note by Arghyam tries to work towards achieving this goal, and attempts to provide a plan for better management of groundwater resources.

Arghyam has proposed the following initiatives for the upcoming Union Budget of 2013-14:

Launch a research initiative to mainstream groundwater into urban water supply

In a rapidly urbanizing India, the provision of universal cover of water and sanitation requires a significant investment of financial, political, scientific and human capital. The High Powered Expert Committee on Indian Urban Infrastructure and Services estimates that Rs. 40,000 crore will have to be spent every year for the next 20 years on urban water and sanitation to eliminate the infrastructure deficit. This comes at a time when the Kelkar Committee report (1) warns of an impending fiscal precipice, calling for an additional saving of Rs. 20,000 crore under Plan Expenditure. Investment estimates for water supply infrastructure are mostly based on surface source calculations, and the incorporation of local groundwater sources could potentially reduce the level of capital investment required in the long run.

Meanwhile, the reality is that a large fraction of urban water needs are met by groundwater. According to the 2011 census, 27 per cent of urban Indian households continue to obtain water from wells, bore wells and hand-pumps – all dependent on groundwater. Apart from private use, groundwater also forms an essential part of the municipal supply of piped water. In 1999, 8 million+ cities and over half the Class I and Class II towns surveyed were dependent on groundwater as a primary source of drinking water

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Almost all new projects that are sanctioned for supplying drinking water to cities consider only surface water sources. Large capital investments and significant recurring expenditure are necessary as surface sources can be very far from city limits. The city of Bangalore, for example, draws 900 million litres of water a day (MLD) from the river Kaveri about a 100 km away and 500 metres below the city. Surface water sources are also heavily contested – where the agricultural, industrial, rural and urban domesticneeds compete with each other for a scarce resource. It may be prudent for smaller cities to invest in groundwater management for water supply to avoid these pitfalls of accessing distant water sources.

Broadly, urban groundwater is afflicted by the twin problems of overexploitation and contamination by untreated wastes. Current knowledge of urban hydrogeology is insufficient to solve them. While metropolitan cities may have extremely contaminated and depleted groundwater reserves, smaller cities and towns present an opportunity as the problems are less entrenched and more easily reversible, thus offering alternate paths for sustainable urban water supply provision.

City centres can be places with high, if contaminated groundwater tables. The ground can also provide a natural filtration service, capable of removing bacterial contamination. An Arghyam supported study conducted by IISc where a dense network of wells was monitored for quality and quantity found the above to be the case in a small town (Mulbagal) in Karnataka

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While groundwater continues to be an important source of water supply in Indian cities, we still lack sufficient knowledge for making sound policies on its use. Urban groundwater has received policy attention thus far on two promising fronts: in rainwater harvesting mandates in several cities, and model groundwater legislations that are currently in various stages of realization across the country.

The Central Ground Water Board has but 1-2 groundwater monitoring stations in most cities. The Central Pollution Control Board maintains only 490 groundwater quality monitoring stations across the country. This remains inadequate for robust decision-making on urban groundwater.

Studies to date have shed some light on the prevalence, necessity and potential of using groundwater for urban water supply, but far from enough. With a long-term aim of mainstreaming groundwater into urban water supply, it is proposed that a beginning be made by fostering knowledge creation and the promotion of better public understanding by launching an Urban Groundwater Research Initiative, with the following mandate:

• Assessment of the extent of urban groundwater usage, including public and private extraction and use.
• Commissioning of comprehensive studies on urban hydrogeology including on ground water levels, quantity and quality along with estimations of the potential for sustainable use for urban water supply, including the connection with sanitation.
• Development of monitoring wells at the ward-level in towns and cities and the metering of public wells and bore wells.
• Protection of urban water bodies including lakes and traditional water structures.
• Development of strategies to recharge aquifers through lakes, storm water systems and rainwater harvesting.

The Urban Groundwater Research Initiative could be placed under one of the following agencies:

The selected nodal agency should be empowered to execute the research initiative by entering into collaborations with premier research institutions in India of national and international repute, by administering competitive research grants to research groups and working with individual cities where the projects will take place.

A preliminary budget is suggested below, spread over 3 years between 2013-14 and 2015-16:

• Development a cadre of barefoot hydrogeologists to support decentralised collection of groundwater data.
• Map the aquifers and help in the subsequent management of aquifers.
• Augmenting the supply of groundwater sources with a strong focus on drinking water.
• Mobilizing the community and developing social regulations to manage demand.