The study raises serious concerns for five hotspots: Punjab and Haryana (Hotspot I), Uttar Pradesh (Hotspot II), West Bengal (Hotspot III), Chhattisgarh (Hotspot IV) and Kerala (Hotspot V).
- India is the largest groundwater user in world (more than 25% of global total).
Key findings of the Study:
- The northern and northwestern hotspots (I & II): They have suffered a staggering loss of approximately 64.6 billion cubic metres of water over the past two decades.
- Punjab & Haryana were the most affected areas showing the highest decline in India.
- Uttar Pradesh: Urban expansion has shifted water usage from agriculture to domestic needs.
- Chhattisgarh: Increased irrigation, domestic, and industrial use are causes of reduced groundwater availability.
- West Bengal & Kerala: Domestic and industrial use surged by 24% & 34% respectively.
Solutions for Depleting Groundwater Resources:
- User rights: Instituting a formalized groundwater rights detached from land ownership.
- Granting community rights: Would entail collective responsibility and equal access, mitigating the exploitative tendencies observed under private ownership
- Artificial Groundwater Recharge in India:
- Direct surface techniques: E.g., Flooding, Basins or percolation tanks, Stream augmentation, etc.
- Direct sub surface techniques: E.g., Injection wells or recharge wells, Recharge pits and shafts, etc.
Initiatives taken by the Government
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