The Hindu Business Line : Urgent need to optimise availability of groundwater

`In the Deccan Plateau states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra, groundwater levels have reached an alarmingly low level of 600 ft and above.'

Kolkata , Dec. 1

IN a bid to find a lasting solution to the complex problems surrounding groundwater usage and ownership, and to lay down guidelines for proper water conservation practices, the Planning Commission has recently constituted a committee comprising members drawn from Central Ground Water Board, representatives of farmers and other experts. Concerns have been raised in various quarters over the level of groundwater depletion as well as contamination and salinity in various parts of the country.

Among those in the committee are Prof Tushar Shah, Prof Navroz Dubash of Infrastructure Development Finance Company Ltd, Mr P. Chengal Reddy, Secretary General of Confederation of Indian Farmers' Associations (COIFA), and water conservation experts from Satguru Foundation and international water management institutions.

Talking to Business Line, Mr Chengal Reddy said the first meeting of the committee, held recently, has already discussed such critical issues as whether the groundwater recharging through watersheds and other means was actually achieving the desired results. He felt there was an urgent need to optimise availability of groundwater through adoption of conservation practices such as sprinkler irrigation, plastic and cement pipes, plastic sheets in open channels, and so on.

Voicing the serious concern among policy-makers and farmers in many parts of the country over the rapid groundwater depletion, Mr Reddy said in the Deccan Plateau states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra, groundwater levels have reached an alarmingly low level of 600 ft and above. He said farmers in these states were digging borewells indiscriminately without consulting experts, depending more on locals to identify the digging points.

"This is causing huge losses to farmers as the failure rate with regard to such indiscriminate digging was as high as 80 per cent." The distance between each borewell was also not being maintained by farmers, he pointed out. He lamented that individual farmers were not thinking of water conservation practices even in the Rabi season, when traditionally there was a crunch with regard to availability of both water and electricity.

Pointing out that the task of adoption of suitable cropping pattern should be entrusted to local panchayats, Mr Reddy suggested setting up of empowered farmers' committees, power sub station-wise or panchayat block-wise, to supervise digging of wells, decide cropping pattern and also establish equity in utilisation methods between drinking water, water for agriculture as well as community use.

He said COIFA has urged farmers' organisations around the country to make valuable suggestions on novel methods such as possibilities of establishing water markets and setting up of farmers' societies for sharing groundwater. He said besides examining the legal issues pertaining to groundwater, there was also a need to study the relevant Acts passed by the state governments vis-à-vis their implementation levels.

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