GROUND WATER SCENARIO WITH SPECIAL

REFERENCE TO RAJASTHAN

P.K. PARCHUREREGIONAL DIRECTOR

CENTRAL GROUND WATER BOARDWESTERN REGION, JAIPUR

Significance of ground water resources

• Play vital role in sustaining the livelihoods

• Act as primary buffer against drought

• Play pivotal role in ensuring the food security at all levels

• Play important role in meeting the water requirements of agriculture, industrial and domestic sectors in India

Consumption of ground water resources in India

In India ground water meets

•>85 percent of India’s rural domestic water requirements

• 50 percent of its urban water requirements

• >50 percent of its irrigation requirements

As per the United Nations World Water Development Report (2012) brought out by UNESCO, India is the largest user of ground water in the world.

Availability and withdrawal of ground

water resources in IndiaGround water resources reassessed as on 2009

• Total annually replenishable resource : 431 bcm

• Net annual ground water availability: 396 bcm

• Annual ground water withdrawal : 243 bcm

• Stage of ground water development : 61%

Categorization of assessment units• Total No. of assessed units : 5842• No. of over-exploited units: 802• No. of critical units: 169• No. of semi-critical assessment units: 523

Rajasthan state – An overview

• State: Largest state , >128 Countries

• Area: 3,42,239 sq km. , 10.4% of country

• Population: 5,64,73122 , 5.5% of country

• Most arid and drought prone state

• Limited water resources 1.15% of the country

• Surface water resources very meager

• Ground water resources highly depleted

• > 50% of fluoride affected villages of the country

• G.W. saline to highly saline in most western districts

• Rapid Industrial growth - Urbanization

Rainfall

Ranges from < 150 to > 1500 mm

Annual average: about 1100 mm

Gradually decreases from SE towards NW

Highly variable, irregular and erratic

Frequent droughts Consecutive drought

spells of 2 to 3 years common

Major

Aquifer

Systems

Rajasthan – Declining trend of ground water

levels

Rajasthan – Quality of ground water

Saline in major part of western Rajasthan -- Potable ground water is found in areas covered by sandstone and limestone of Marwar Super group, Lathi formations in Jaisalmer and Fresh in the eastern part except in a few pockets of Bharatpur district where the ground water is brackish to saline. It is saline in Barmer district, in Tertiaries in parts of Bikaner, Nagaur, Churu, Barmer and Jaisalmer districts and localized pockets in Quaternaries

High fluoride in pockets in almost all the districts with varying intensity

High nitrate and other constituents beyond permissible limits of drinking and irrigation also exists in some districts

Increased use of fertilizers, poor sewerage system in urban agglomerates and industrial pollution have further caused deterioration in the quality of ground water

Rajasthan- Ground water availability

vis-à-vis withdrawalAs per ground water resource

assessment carried out jointly by CGWB and State GWD as on 2009

• Annually replenishable resource: 11.86 bcm

• Net annual availability : 10.79 bcm

• Annual ground water withdrawal: 14.52 bcm

• Stage of ground water withdrawal: 135%

Rajasthan- Ground water management challenges Declining water level - Depleting ground

water resources

Deteriorating ground water quality

Increasing demands of ground water to meet

increased water demands for various

purposes

Growing urbanization leading to growing

water demands as well as reduction in

natural recharge

Water logging in canal command areas

Industrial and Mining pollution

Regulation of ground water development Central Ground Water Authority

Constituted under Section 3(3) of Environment (Protection) Act of 1986 vide Ministry of Environment & Forests’ notification dated 14.1.1997 and reconstituted under MOEF notification dated 6.11.2000.

Circulated list of Over-exploited, critical and semi-critical assessment units to the State Pollution Control Boards, BIS and Ministry of Environment & Forests - evaluates proposals for new industries/ projects falling in these areas based on site specific technical studies and issues NOC for withdrawal of ground water.

Notified 82 areas in the country for regulation of ground water development and management wherein installation of new ground water abstraction structures is not permitted without prior specific approval of the Authority/ Authorized officer.

Issued directions to all the Residential Group Housing Societies/ Institutions/Schools/ Hotels/ Industrial Establishments falling in over-exploited and critical areas (except in the water logged areas) in the country to adopt Roof Top Rain Water harvesting systems in their premises.

Regulation of ground water development …. Contd. Central Ground Water Authority

Issued to all concerned for implementation of ground water recharge measures along all National Highways, State Highways and other major roads, along rail tracks by Indian Railways, in the Stadia and in Airports for Promoting Rain Water Harvesting/ adoption of artificial Recharge to Ground Water in the country (except in water logged areas)

Issued directions to Chief Secretaries in 12 States and Administrations in 2 Union Territories having Over-exploited blocks to take necessary measures to promote/adopt artificial recharge to ground water/ rain water harvesting

Directed large and medium Industries using ground water in the over exploited and critical areas in the country (except in the water logged areas) to take up water conservation measures including recharge of ground water/rain water harvesting and adopt practices of treatment, recycle and reuse of waste water in their premises

Issued directions to Chief Secretaries/ Administrators of all the States/ Union Territories and Ministry of Urban Development to take necessary action to adopt rain water harvesting/ artificial recharge on all the Government buildings

Regulation of ground water development …. Contd.

Model Bill to regulate and control development of ground water – Salient features

• Setting up of Ground Water Authority

• Authority vested with powers to

Notify areas for regulation and control of ground water development and management

Identify areas worthy of artificial recharge, issue necessary guidelines for rain water harvesting and artificial recharge and give appropriate directions to concerned departments

May issue directives in urban areas falling in notified areas for construction of appropriate rain water harvesting structures in all residential, industrial and other premises having an area of 100 sq.m. or more

Regulation of ground water development …. Contd.

Model Bill to regulate and control development of ground water – Status of enactment

• Enacted: Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Puducherry, Tamilnadu and West Bengal

• Initiated action: Maharashtra, Gujarat, Haryana, Mizoram, Orissa, Rajasthan, Delhi, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh and Punjab

• Feel it not necessary: Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh

• Rajasthan – When??

Regulation of ground water development …. Contd. Areas notified by Central Ground Water Authority in Rajasthan

S.No District No of BlocksNotified

1. Ajmer 1 2. Alwar 1 3. Barmer 1 4. Churu 1 5. Jalore 5 6. Jaipur 7 7. Jhunjhunu 6 8. Jodhpur 4 9. Karauli 110. Nagaur 211. Sikar 2

Total 31

National Water Policy – Provisions with regard to ground waterExisting Policy (2002)

Periodical reassessment of ground water potential on a scientific basis taking into consideration the quality of water available and economic viability of its extraction

Regulation of exploitation of ground water resources so as to retain it within recharging possibilities and also to ensure social equity

Effective prevention of over-exploitation by central and state governments

Development and implementation of ground water recharge projects

Conjunctive use of surface and ground water should form an integral part of project implementation

Over-exploitation of ground water should be avoided especially near the coast to prevent ingress of sea water into sweet water aquifers

National Water Policy – Provisions with regard to ground waterDraft Revised Policy (2012)Objective : To take cognizance of the existing

situation, to propose framework for the system of laws and institutions and for a plan of action with a unified national perspective

Concerns expressed in the present scenario :• Large parts of the country are water stressed• Mismanagement of water resources has led to a

critical situation in many parts of the country• Wide temporal and spatial variation in availability

of water • Climate change may also lead to sea level rise• Access to safe water for drinking and other

domestic needs still a problem in many areas• Encroachment of natural water bodies

National Water Policy – Provisions with regard to ground water ….Contd.Draft Revised Policy (2012) – concerns expressed in the

present scenario

• Inadequate trained personnel for scientific planning• Widening gap between irrigation potential created and

utilized• Ground water though part of hydrological cycle and a

community resource, is still perceived as an individual property and is exploited inequitably and without any consideration to its sustainability leading to its over-exploitation in several areas

• Growing pollution of water sources• Low public consciousness about the overall scarcity and

economic value of water• Lack of adequate trained personnel for scientific planning • Absence of holistic and interdisciplinary approach at water

related problems• No consultation with stakeholders by public agencies

involved in water related decisions• Land use and land cover changes affecting availability and

quality of water resources

National Water Policy – Provisions with regard to ground water ….Contd.Draft Revised Policy (2012)• Strengthening of infrastructure in the water rich eastern

and north-eastern states• Institutionalization and strengthening of community based

water management• Enhancing capabilities of communities to adopt climate

resilient technological options• Adaptation strategies including increasing water storage in

various forms and better water management through adoption of compatible agricultural strategies, cropping patterns and improved water application methods and more water efficient industrial processes

• Promoting stakeholder participation in land-soil-water management with scientific inputs from local scientific and academic institutions

• Periodic assessment of availability of water resources• Augmenting utilizable water resources through direct use of

rain water and avoidance of inadvertent evapotranspiration

National Water Policy – Provisions with regard to ground water ….Contd.Draft Revised Policy (2012)

• Participatory approach in aquifer mapping

• Arresting declining ground water levels in OE areas through economizing water use, incentivizing efficient water use and encouraging community based management of aquifers

• Integrated watershed management activities with ground water perspectives

• Strict regulation of urban settlements, encroachments and any development activities in the protected upstream areas of reservoirs/ water bodies, key aquifer recharge areas etc.

• Need to ensure that industrial effluents, local cess pools, residual fertilizers and chemicals etc. don’t reach the ground water

National Project on Aquifer Mapping and Management • CGWB has prepared hydrogeological maps on 1: 250,000

scale

• National Programme for Preparation of Aquifer Maps being envisaged.

• In first phase (12th & 13th Five Year Plan) it is proposed to cover priority areas (OE, Critical, Coastal, pollution prone areas) on 1:50,000 scale and selected high priority area on 1:10,000 scale

• It is proposed to take up this activity with participation of State Governments , NGOs and local community

• These maps would lead to Aquifer Management programme with participation of local community (NGOs, PRIs, Water User groups, etc).

• The information generated would also be available to the administrators, planners and members of public

Thank You