Current Affairs 10 November 2024

Groundwater Depletion

Why in the News?
A recent study highlights significant groundwater depletion in five Indian states, underscoring the urgent need for effective water management.

What is Groundwater?

Groundwater is water found underground, stored in spaces within soil, sand, and rock. It moves through geologic formations called aquifers—which are typically composed of materials like gravel, sand, sandstone, or fractured rock. The water in aquifers can be accessed through wells, as it fills the saturated zone, with the water table marking the top of this zone.

What is Groundwater Recharge?

Groundwater is replenished through natural processes like rain and snowmelt seeping into the ground, replenishing aquifers. This replenishment process is crucial to sustaining groundwater levels and ensuring long-term availability.

Groundwater Depletion

Groundwater depletion occurs when water is extracted faster than it can be naturally recharged. This over-extraction is a critical issue in many parts of the world, particularly in agriculture-heavy regions where groundwater supplies 62% of irrigation needs and 85% of rural drinking water.

Key Drivers of Groundwater Depletion

• Agricultural Exploitation: High water-demand crops like paddy and sugarcane heavily consume groundwater, especially in regions like Punjab and Haryana.
• Energy Subsidies: Power subsidies encourage unregulated pumping, exacerbating depletion.
• Green Revolution Legacy: The introduction of high-yield crops has placed additional strain on groundwater resources.
• Industrial Use: Rapid industrialization leads to high groundwater demand, particularly in water-intensive industries like textiles.
• Population Growth & Urbanization: As population grows, so does the demand for water for drinking, sanitation, and domestic uses.
• Encroachments on Recharge Zones: Urbanization and infrastructure development seal off areas that naturally recharge groundwater.
• Widespread Borewell Usage: Borewells facilitate rapid extraction, often faster than recharge rates.
• Contamination: Pollution from fertilizers, industrial waste, and poor sanitation has led to the contamination of groundwater in 60% of Indian districts.
• Weak Regulation: Insufficient policies and regulations have allowed unchecked extraction, further exacerbating the crisis.

Status of Groundwater Depletion in India

India, which holds 16% of the world’s population but just 4% of its freshwater, faces severe groundwater depletion. According to the Central Groundwater Board, 17% of India’s groundwater blocks are over-exploited, with extraction far outpacing natural recharge. A 4% drop in net annual groundwater availability has been recorded between 2004-05 and 2018-19, with significant losses in the northern and northwestern regions.

Impacts of Groundwater Depletion

• Water Scarcity: Reduced availability affects agriculture, industry, and household needs.
• Public Health Risks: Over-extraction and contamination of groundwater expose populations to pollutants like arsenic, leading to health risks.
• Food Insecurity: Depletion in key food-producing regions hampers crop irrigation, with cascading effects on global food security.
• Livelihood Impacts: Communities reliant on groundwater for irrigation and daily use face economic hardships.
• Ecosystem Damage: The depletion harms vegetation, wildlife, and wetland habitats, disturbing the ecological balance.
• Biodiversity Crisis: Reduced groundwater availability leads to loss of biodiversity, impacting flora and fauna.

Groundwater Contaminants and Their Impacts

• Nitrates: From fertilizers and sewage, these contribute to health issues like methemoglobinemia.
• Pathogens: Poor sanitation increases waterborne diseases.
• Trace Metals: From industrial activities, these pose carcinogenic risks.
• Inorganic Compounds: Degrade water quality and increase water hardness.
• Organic Compounds: From pesticides and industrial waste, these harm ecosystems and health.

Government Measures

• Statutory Measures: The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 aims to maintain water quality and prevent pollution.
• Policy Measures: The National Water Policy (2012) promotes water use efficiency.
• Institutional Measures: The Bureau of Water Use Efficiency (BWUE) develops standards for water-efficient practices.
• Water Management Initiatives:
  • Jal Shakti Abhiyan promotes rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge.
  • Amrit Sarovar Mission rejuvenates 75 water bodies in each district.
  • Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) builds water conservation structures.
  • Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) includes aquifer management plans.
  • Atal Bhujal Yojana focuses on groundwater management in water-stressed districts.
  • National Aquifer Mapping and Management (NAQUIM) to map aquifers and prepare management plans.
  • Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (WDC-PMKSY) aids in developing rain-fed and degraded lands.

What Lies Ahead?

• Strengthen Regulations: Enforce stronger groundwater management laws.
• Promote Sustainable Agricultural Practices: Encourage the use of less water-intensive crops and efficient irrigation methods like drip and sprinkler systems.
• Decentralize Water Management: Implement community-based water management at local levels.
• Restore Wetlands: Protect urban recharge zones and wetlands to aid groundwater replenishment.
• Encourage Water Conservation: Implement Blue Credit schemes to incentivize conservation efforts across sectors.