Framework for Groundwater Resources Management and Sustainable Development of Groundwater in India

Abstract

Groundwater resources are hidden and are more difficult to conceptualize than surface water. While the science of dynamics of groundwater is well understood and definable the problem related to management and governance of this very important resource is very ill-defined and relied on elusive political judgement. Groundwater is an object of multiple stakeholders and decision-makers with competing goals. Groundwater is a well-distributed resource and is available even prolonged drought. However, any unplanned extraction of this very important and essential resource can cause irreversible damage to the aquifer body or bring seawater intrusion and degrade the quality of groundwater. This paper presents an overview of the occurrence, movement of this resource and the exploration methodology to identify the characteristics of various aquifer systems. The paper gives a framework for integrated groundwater resource management including key issues of demand and supply management. The paper also presents various groundwater management tools and instruments and presents a comprehensive methodology for the maintenance of health of this very important reusable resource.