Post on 24-Jun-2015
Climate Change and Groundwater
Governance in Gujarat, India:
IWRM in Practice?
Tushaar Shah, IWMI and GWP-TEC
A decade of IWRM watching Gujarat 1990-2000 Gujarat 2000-2010
Groundwater supplying 70% of irrigated area
Groundwater supplying 70% of irrigated area
700,000 tubewells 11,50,000 tubewells
Electricity utility bankrupted by farm power subsidies
Electricity subsidy reduced to half
Aggregate groundwater withdrawals rising at ~15%/year
Aggregate groundwater withdrawals stabilized
Groundwater basket case of India The only Indian state where the groundwater regime is steadily improving
Agricultural economy stagnant Agriculture growing at 9.6% year during 2000-2008
Fluoride in groundwater a public health timebomb
Problem recognized and feasible solutions sought
North Gujarat around 2000: A Groundwater Basket Case
Figure 1 FRESH WATER AVAILABILITY IN GUJARAT
BY REGION
0500
10001500
20002500
S&C G
ujarat
North G
ujarat
Sau
rash
tra
Kac
hchh
Gujarat
REGION
PE
R C
AP
ITA
AV
AIL
AB
ILIT
Y
Fluoride in drinking water: Threat of a crippled generation
Groundwater depletion and
energy subsidies
Dental and skeletal fluorosis
Saline ingress
Dudhara village in Saurashtra Gadh village in Banaskantha
During 1986-88, Guru’s catalyzed a mass movement for groundwater recharge. 400,000 open wells were recharge-enabled, with support from NGOs, cement industry, Gujarati diamond merchants from Belgium.
In 1998, the government piled on the bandwagon and supported farmers to build more than 300,000 check dams, percolation ponds, and renovated countless water bodies.
December 1989 December 1999
In a normal monsoon, these helped to increase groundwater availability by about 1 BCM—3% of Gujarat’s water resources. But this 3% made all the
difference.
Farm power subsidies were undoing the benefits of recharge movement
• 2001: Electricity subsidy to tubewell owners US $ 750 million, 40% of the state’s budget;
• Increased groundwater only led to increased pumping and power subsidy
• Govt tried to cut losses by shutting off 3 phase power supply for 12 hours/day
• Farmers began using phase-splitting devices to run pumps on 2-phase power, ruining the power supply to non-farm rural consumers.
• The Chief Minister announced decision to meter tubewells and charge volumetric power tariff at subsidized rates for quality power.
• Hundreds of thousands of farmers descended on the capital to oppose the metering decision.
• A second-best solution that was politically feasible was adopted. Between 2003-2006, US $ 1250 million were invested in rewiring Gujarat’s countryside.
Figure 1 a Electricity Network Before Figure 1 b Electricity Network after
During 2003-2006, Govt. invested US $ 1250 million in separating 800,000 tubewells from other rural connections and imposed an 8 hour/day power ration
but of top quality and full voltage.
This: [a] halved the power subsidy; [b] stabilized groundwater draft; [c] improved power supply in rural economy, and [d] helped Gujarat achieve 9.6%
growth rate in agriculture during 2000-2009.
Mass-based recharge program and farm power reforms helped Gujarat to arrest secular decline in groundwater regime
Monsoonal changes in GW level: 2000
Monsoonal changes in GW level: 2008
Dental and Skeletal Fluorosis-a Public Health Time Bomb: Conventional solution: stop groundwater use in agriculture
Creative solutions being piloted are: [a] piped water supply from surface reservoirs;
[b] Government-assisted private RO plant operators to supply fluoride-free water at subsidized rates
[c] In remote tribal villages food fortification with calcium, magnasium and vitamin C.
Problem Best, ‘Proper’, total solution
Second-best, doable, deBono style, lateral solutions
Sustained depletion of aquifers
Manage groundwater demand by water and/or power pricing
Mass-based groundwater recharge; conjunctive management of GW & SW
Power industry bankrupted by farm subsidies
Meter tubewells and charge consumption-linked power tariff
[a] non-supply; [b] reduce supply; [b]Intelligent rationing of power supply
Fluoride as a public health timebomb
Bring the Groundwater regime back to pre-development level
[a] surface water supply [b] private providers of RO water [c] food fortification
IWRM thinking Successful problem-solving
Integrated Problem Solving Silo problem solving
Demand-side solutions Supply side solutions
Participatory process-intensive solutions
Silver bullet, push-button solutions
Integrate water agencies and management roles
Integrate water in to larger socio-economic management
Water as a problem Poverty as the over-arching problem
IWRM in Practice
Thank You