Chapter 1 - You cannot manage what you don’t know: Understanding
realities under and above the ground
As the title suggests the the chapter discusses the various factors that influence the use of groundwater. These include the physical environment which includes the hydrological characteristics of groundwater bodies, the socioeconomic environment, the institutional environment which encompasses the legal, administrative, political and macroeconomic environment.
While discussing the characteristics of aquifers in India the chapter points out that 65 percent of India’s overall aquifer surface area consists of weathered crystalline basement. These are mostly outside the command of primary irrigation canals of large rivers and are shallow aquifers. These are mostly found in central peninsular
India. The other type of aquifer is the alluvial aquifers of the Indo-Gangetic plains. A table provides information on the types of aquifers present in various states.
The chapter also discusses the factors that push the demand for groundwater. The key factor is not resource availability nor well yield potential but the lack of proper water supply by the public water supply system. The other topics broached in this chapter include determining management approaches to groundwater exploitation for rural and urban areas, when the exploitation becomes excessive.
Information related to stabilising groundwater use in urban areas, urban sprawl and water table decline, indicative costs of water supply from various sources are presented through diagrams, information boxes, charts and graphs.
Chapter 2 - A semblance of sufficiency: Institutional framework of
groundwater management in India
The chapter begins with the observation that though over-exploitation of groundwater results from millions of individual decisions these decisions are influenced by a range of factors ranging from administrative, to legal, political and economic factors.
The chapter discusses in detail the types of groundwater management instruments which range from regulatory and economic measures to groundwater property regimes and community management. The chapter notes that the Indian Easements Act of 1882 has given right to the groundwater to the owner of a property. However in 1996, a
Supreme Court ruling established the
Central Ground Water Authority. The mandate of this body was to regulate and control the development of groundwater to preserve and protect it.
Delving further into the various instruments, the chapter notes that though the Indian Constitution puts water supply under the State list, though the Central Government also has concurrent power to make laws. Thus one of the functions of the
Union Ministry of Water, as per this report, is the planning for development of groundwater resources, formulation of policies of exploitation etc. Thus a Model Groundwater Bill was created in 1970 and revised many times, however only a few states have enacted this bill.
The report also highlights the fact that the
Planning Commission's Expert Group on Groundwater Management and Ownership feels that there is enough teeth in the legislative framework to enable groundwater management practices.
The section on administrative and organisational environment points out that there are 11 institutions involved in someway or the other with central groundwater development and management; the institutions range from Central Groundwater Authority to the
Oil and Natural Gas Commission. A table depicts the various groundwater related policies and the scope for coordination between them. Policies that come under crop policies, subsidies on inputs, recharge programs, land use planning etc, are highlighted.
The chapter also discusses the consequences of reform of regulatory measures, use of economic instruments to manage groundwater use. Concepts like trade-able groundwater rights, community management of groundwater are discussed threadbare.
Chapter 3 - A groundswell of change: Potential of community groundwater management in India
The chapter discusses community led groundwater management and the role of leaders in such movements. Mention is made of stalwarts like Anna Hazare and his disciple Popat Rao Pawar, Rajendra Singh and Anupam Mishra.
It is pointed out that each of the community led management systems promoted by them are different - everything from the need for community led management to the approach, and to results.
Special mention is made of the
Food and Agriculture Organisation's
Andhra Pradesh Farmer-Managed Groundwater Systems (APFAMGS). The project is being implemented in seven drought-prone districts of Andhra Pradesh. The project intends to equip groundwater user farmers with data, skills and knowledge to manage the groundwater resources available. The key is that this knowledge is used by the farmers to manage and monitor their own demand for groundwater.
The report notes that while APFAMGS is essentially converting farmers into 'barefoot hydrologists', it also facilitates access to information on water saving methods, better agricultural practices and ways to manage and regulate the farmers demand for water.
