Declining Water Tables and Water Management In Maharashtra

Declining Water Tables and Water Management

In

Maharashtra

-Aparna Mitheel Jaikar

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In the year 2003-04, the Government of Maharashtra notified that 71 Talukas in the State were facing water scarcity. Of these 71 Talukas 4 Talukas of Sinnar, Suragana, Devala, and Latur had received more than 100% of the Normal rainfall during the year. Similarly, it was noticed that the Talukas of Sangamaner, Akola, Sangola, Bhokardhan, Ashti, Parli, Renapur, and Nilanga had received more than 80% of normal rainfall that year.
This phenomenon of water shortage and scarcity in the face of normal rainfall appears to have become a normal feature in Maharashtra and is indicative of a serious depletion of water levels in the Ground Water Aquifers in various part of the State.
Programme of Bore wells during the period 1971-2003:

To overcome the problem of scarcity of water, especially drinking water, the State Government had to resort to various measures, both short term and long term, to provide relief to the people. One of these schemes related to sinking of bore wells.

Table: 1.

Years Bore wells	Years Bore wells
1971 - 143 1972 - 697 1973 - 1312 1974 - 773 1975 - 605	1999 - 5349 2000 - 16609 2001 - 8945 2002 - 11016 2003 - 14000
Average - 706	Average - 11183

Source: GSDA
The information contained in Table: 1 shows that during the period 1971-75 on an average 706 bore wells were sunk each year to tackle the problems of water shortage. The problem became more acute from year to year and we find that during the period 1999-2003 the State Government had to sink on an average more than 11000 bore wells each year. This is indicative of the serious situation being faced by the people in the State due to the decline in the ground water levels.
It is also been observed that where as in the 70’s water availability generally improved after the close of the monsoon season, it is noticed today that even after normal rainfall the level of water in the wells, etc. is not rising substantially to take care of water shortages.
The Ground Water Survey and Development Agency (GSDA) is the organization of the State Government entrusted with the work of survey and development of ground water resources in the State of Maharashtra. Over the years it has undertaken number of surveys to assess the quality of the ground water resources in the State. Its studies reveal that in the early seventies there was sufficient recharge of ground water resources after the monsoon. Since then however there has been a progressive deterioration in the ground water resource largely due to the over exploitation of the sources. The GSDA highlighted this situation for the first time in their report presented to the State Government in the year 1979. The GSDA have progressively improved their techniques of survey and has taken recourse to modern technologies available for the purpose. It has also revised its parameters of study to improve the accuracy of its surveys. The Ground Water Estimation Committee (GEC) constituted by the State Government is chaired by the Principal Secretary, Department of Water Supply and Sanitation. It comprises of representatives of Departments of Irrigation, Social forestry, agriculture, soil conservation, Managing Director NABARD, Regional Director Central Ground Water Board and other experts in the field. This Committee has been, since 1979, preparing and releasing reports on the surveys undertaken by the GSDA every five years on the status of the ground water resource in Maharashtra.
Groundwater development has flourished in Maharashtra because of a strong State groundwater organisation, the Groundwater Surveys and Development Agency (GSDA). GSDA is also closely co-coordinating with UNICEF, World Bank and DFID in water supply and sanitation projects as well as building its capacity through the introduction of improved modeling techniques using a computer based Hydrological Information System as a part of the World Bank funded National Hydrology Project
The VI th Report of the GEC was based on the surveys and fieldwork carried out during the period 1999-2000. Among other things this report has revealed that out of the total of 86681 villages in Maharashtra, there were 59091 villages/hamlets, which received adequate water. That is that the availability of water was 40 liters per day per head. The report also revealed that there were another 25750 villages having inadequate/unassured water supply. The remaining 1840 villages had no source of water!!
Some data compiled by the GSDA during their recent surveys
GSDA have identified 3911 wells for inspection in the State and have also installed 1136 phizometers for determining ground water levels in the various regions.
Table: 2. Data of bore wells 3911 borewells and 1136 phizometers:

Area Pune Nashik (Only Nashik And Ahmednagar) Aurangabad Amravati

Total no. Of Borewells 650 316 751 668

Present water level as compared to last 5 years _____________________ 0-2M. 2-4M. More than 4 226 124 138 128 67 96 240 118 116 243 68 18

Depletion (%) 75% 76% 63% 50%

Source: GSDA

The above table indicates the position of the decline noticed in the ground water levels, in the various regions of the State in time span of 5 years.
The Ground Water Evaluation Committee of 1997 also did a study of the recharge and extraction in 1763 watersheds. The findings of the survey are in Table: 3.
Table: 3. Ground Water Assets as per GEC 97:

Total Water Shed Area	1989 Ground Water Estimation 1505	1995Ground Water Estimation 1505	2000 G.E.C-97 1505
GEC Total wells	- 1128	- 1454	2316 1446
Total bore wells (lacs)			30.00?
Total ground water extraction in lakhs	11.51	12.63*	13.33*
Yearly refilling in lakhs	29.96	31.54*	30.89*
Situation of watershed area
*SC/C/OE	34 / 75	26 / 87	277 / 72 / 154

*SC- Semi Critical / C- Critical / OE- Over Critical.

Source: GSDA

The table reflects the results of the last 3 surveys and is compared with the survey done in 2000. The study indicates that whereas the GEC in 1989 had shown 34 water sheds as semi critical and 75 as critical in respect of over extraction, the GEC in 1995 revised this to 26 semi critical and 87 critical. The GEC in 2000 based on survey conducted in 1997 revised this data further showing serious depletion of groundwater assets to 277 semi critical, 72 critical and 154 over exploited assets in the State.
The ground water availability and the water level depend on the geo hydrological conditions of any region. Though data relating to extraction is not available the situation on the ground based on the surveys conducted by successive rounds of GEC reveals a very serious situation developing in the State. This deterioration of ground water assets has serious implications for economy of the State and the health and wellbeing of its citizens.
In the State, 90% of rural population draws its water from the ground water assets. The amount of ground water utilized for the agricultural purpose is 85%. Out of the total water available for irrigation purpose, 69% comes from ground water sources. Some 10% of the ground water is utilized for industrial purpose and only 5% is used up for drinking.
Problems occurring due to depletion of ground water:

• 
  Maharashtra receives a good amount of rainfall; but if immediate steps are not taken up at the technical, social, financial and management levels there are chances of the areas with the depleting ground water turning to barren /desertified land;
  
• 
  There is not only the over exploitation of the ground water but also the inequitable distribution and wasteful utilization which has resulted in declining of the water tables;
  
• 
  The cash crops that are grown in the State consume maximum water. Crops like sugarcane consumes over 70% of the ground water and surface irrigation resources, while other crops that occupy 96% of the cultivated area are left with just 30% of the irrigational resources;
  
• 
  Excess use of chemicals in agriculture, ineffective monitoring of the industrial and household waste has lead to the decline in the quality of water due to the contamination of the ground water;
  

• 
  Over mining of ground water and lack of proper water management has lead to the continuous decrease in the water tables;
  

• 
  There is a high content of salinity, fluorides, nitrates, and iron in groundwater that pose serious health problems.
  

Suggestions given by GSDA for revising the situation:

• 
  Ground water management needs to be given special preference,
  
• 
  There should be an equitable distribution of water,
  
• 
  People should be educated and made aware through various community participation and training oriented programs,
  
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  For changing the cropping pattern to low intensive crops there is an urgent need to reorient incentives and investments.
  
• 
  Enforcement of the existing laws, along with drafting of new legislation to ensure safeguarding of groundwater assets by eliminating practices which lead to water mining and encouraging and promoting safe practices of water harvesting;
  
• 
  For water management and to control further depletion of ground water levels, it is essential to study the projects and plans taken up by countries like Brazil, USA, (Washington, Texas, California), South Africa, Australia, Israel, etc.
  

Measures necessary to take up are as follows:

• 
  Immediate actions are necessary to stop the decline in ground water levels;
  
• 
  It may be necessary to bring about a change in cropping patterns as well as crop husbandry practices;
  
• 
  Improved methods of irrigation and water conservation;
  
• 
  Regulation in drilling of deep bore wells for irrigation or drinking water requirements;
  
• 
  A major effort in soil and water conservation. Complete and full treatment of all water sheds from ridge to valley.
  
• 
  Major effort to be made at social forestry and increasing forest cover in all regions of the State.
  
• 
  The entire programme is undertaken by involving the public from the planning stage. The participation of the Panchayati Raj institutions as implementing agency is essential for the success of the entire programme.
  

Planned groundwater development in the State is important because of growing demand for water for agricultural, industrial and domestic use. Unfortunately, this is not uniform because of the variations in hypsography, climate and geological conditions across the State

Sustainable development, containing over exploitation and water quality problems are challenges which can be met by reforms in the strategy and approach to groundwater issues. The Hydrology Project provides a unique opportunity for institutional reform and improvement of the hardware infrastructure to meet the challenges of the future.
Coupled with community involvement and help from international agencies, it is imperative that the environmental impact of the lowering of the ground water tables in the State should be tackled head on by using the unique strengths of the department, the modern technology of Geographic Information System (GIS integrates hardware, software, and data for capturing, managing, analyzing, and displaying all forms of geographically referenced information) and comprehensive computer networked data bases. For we owe it to the future generation, to act in time with all the commitment at our command, to pass on the legacy of a balanced and un- degraded environment.
Reference: The Ground Water Survey and Development Agency