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Indian Water Policy at the Crossroads: Resources, Technology and Reforms pp 35–48Cite as

Groundwater Depletion in India: Potential of Alternative Approaches and Policy Instruments

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Part of the book series: Global Issues in Water Policy ((GLOB,volume 16))

Abstract

Since the advent of green revolution in late 1960s, groundwater played an important role in the agricultural and economic development of India. However, large expansion in well irrigation due to policies of promoting private tube well construction, rural electrification programme and subsidies on electricity and diesel for agricultural use resulted in groundwater over-abstraction largely in north-western, western and peninsular India. As most of the measures to regulate groundwater overuse in India have met with little success, this chapter examines the viability of alternative institutional and economic instruments for sustainable groundwater irrigation. Analysis suggests that the enforcement of private and tradable property rights in groundwater can bring about a significant increase in farm outputs, with a reduction in the aggregate demand for water in agriculture. It will also bring about more equitable access to, and control over, the water available from groundwater for food production and thus ensure household-level food security. This has to be complemented by the pro-rata pricing of electricity in the farming sector, with improved quality and reliability of the supplied power.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    An administrative unit is categorized as: overexploited if the stage of groundwater development is more than 100 %; critical if it is between 90 % and 100 %; semi-critical if it is between 70 % and 90 %; and safe if it is below 70 %.

  2. 2.

    Saline units are those where the entire assessment area is having poor quality groundwater.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Resource Analysis and Policy (IRAP), B-137, First Floor, North-Ex Mall, Sector-9, Rohini, New Delhi, 110085, India

    Nitin Bassi

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  1. Nitin Bassi
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Correspondence to Nitin Bassi .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Public Policy and Governance, Management Development Institute, Gurgaon, India

    Vishal Narain

  2. Economics and Rural Development, Alagappa University, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, India

    Annasamy Narayanamoorthy

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Bassi, N. (2016). Groundwater Depletion in India: Potential of Alternative Approaches and Policy Instruments. In: Narain, V., Narayanamoorthy, A. (eds) Indian Water Policy at the Crossroads: Resources, Technology and Reforms. Global Issues in Water Policy, vol 16. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-25184-4_3

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