How can depleting groundwater resources be made effective in urban areas of India? (HPAS Mains Question Paper 2022 – GS 1, Q.19)
According to a recent World Resources Institute assessment, India is one of 17 nations experiencing severe water stress. Groundwater levels in India, set to overtake China as the world’s most populated nation in less than a decade, have been alarmingly low. More than a third of India’s population lives in water-stressed regions, and this proportion is expected to rise as groundwater levels decline and urbanization increases.
It is anticipated that by 2050, half of India’s population will be living in cities, creating severe water shortages. Nowadays, 163 million people lack access to clean drinking water.
Measures that could be taken to make depleting groundwater resources effective in urban areas in India:
1. Rainwater harvesting: It is the gathering and storage of rainfall to replenish groundwater aquifers. Rooftop rainwater harvesting systems may be built in buildings in metropolitan areas to collect and store rainfall. This water may then be utilized for non-potable uses such as watering plants, cleaning, and toilet flushing.
2. Artificial Recharge of Aquifers: Injecting water into the earth to replenish groundwater aquifers is known as artificial recharge of aquifers. This may be accomplished by using procedures such as recharge wells, injection wells, or dispersing water across broad areas. This method may replenish groundwater in cities where aquifers are often depleted.
3. Groundwater Regulation: Overexploitation of groundwater resources is a significant concern in India’s metropolitan regions. Groundwater consumption may be regulated via water price, water supply metering, and water conservation incentives. This may assist in minimizing groundwater demand and encourage more effective water usage.
4. Wastewater Processing: It may be processed and reused for non-potable applications such as flushing toilets, washing automobiles, and watering plants. This may assist in minimizing groundwater demand and the pressure on current water supplies.
5. Water conservation strategies, such as correcting leaks, utilizing low-flow faucets, and limiting water consumption, may all assist in lessening the demand for groundwater in metropolitan areas. This may also help to minimize water costs and encourage water conservation.
What initiatives has the government taken?
1. Atal Bhujal Yojana (Atal Jal): This scheme was established by Atal Bhujal. It is a Rs. 6000 crore Central Sector Project with World Bank support for sustainable groundwater resource management with community engagement.
2. Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA): This programme was begun in 2019 in 256 water-stressed districts throughout the nation to increase water availability and groundwater conditions. It focuses on the development of recharge structures, the revitalization of traditional water bodies, intense afforestation, and so on.
3. Aquifer Mapping and Management Program: The CGWB has launched the Aquifer Mapping and Management Program. The program’s goal is to map aquifer dispositions and characterize them to prepare aquifer/area-specific groundwater management strategies with community engagement.
4. Master Plan for Artificial Groundwater Recharge – 2020: CGWB, in collaboration with state governments, developed The Master Plan – 2020, which calls for developing around 1.42 crore rainwater harvesting and artificial recharge facilities nationwide to capture 185 BCM.
Moreover, the government has established the ‘Catch the Rain’ programme to encourage rainwater gathering.
What Can We Do to Make Groundwater Visible?
Sustainable Yield: Cities take much more groundwater than can be replaced naturally, so cities like Delhi, Bangalore, and Hyderabad have seen fast groundwater depletion. In the late 1990s, the phrase “sustainable yield” of groundwater was established to address such issues. This is the quantity of groundwater extraction that may be sustained continuously without incurring intolerable environmental, economic, or social effects.
Strategy for Urban Water Management: From an urban standpoint, “making the invisible visible” entails gaining a better knowledge of this “hidden” resource and incorporating it into the city’s overall water management plan sustainably. To begin, communities must map their groundwater resources to acquire trustworthy information about the amount and quality of accessible supplies. Considering that most of our cities depend significantly on groundwater, having a comprehensive database of this resource is critical for shaping long-term strategies to close the demand-supply imbalance.
Citizen Engagement: Public participation is critical for success, especially since the “invisible” nature of the resource allows individuals to get away with mistakes. People must take up and share the burden of action. The first step is to engage them in two-way discussions to raise collective knowledge about the need for community ownership in groundwater management.
