INDIA’S AGRICULTURAL production journey—from external dependency to meet foodgrain requirements at the time of Independence to self-sufficiency today—is intricately tied to the groundwater resources of the country. Today, no country in the world is as dependent on groundwater to sustain its water needs as India. The country consumes about a quarter of global groundwater, which is more than the next two countries combined, the USA and China.
Though huge investments have been made over the decades for surface water-based schemes for irrigation and drinking supply, groundwater remains the lifeline of water security. But reckless exploitation of aquifers is gravitating India towards a water disaster. Assessment by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and research-based on grace satellite data amply demonstrated rapid aquifer desaturation at many places.
Of the 6,881 blocks/talukas assessed in the country, 17 percent are overexploited. These overexploited areas have invaded all aquifer typologies—from prolific soft rocks aquifer system in Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, complex heterogeneous aquifer systems in arid areas of Rajasthan and Gujarat to low-potential hard rock aquifers in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Maharashtra.
The economic and social consequences of groundwater overexploitation have led to mounting economic burden on farmers owing to relentless construction of deeper new wells, increased energy cost to lift water, enhanced water salinity and spread of geogenic contaminants—arsenic, fluoride, salinity—and ingress of seawater in freshwater aquifers in coastal areas. Further, we are yet to fully comprehend its impact on environment and ecology. The likely effects are diminishing the flow of non-glacier fed rivers, drying up of wetlands, changes in hydraulic behavior of aquifers—particularly in the multi-aquifer setup in the Indo- Ganga-Brahmaputra Plains.
Denne historien er fra September 16, 2019-utgaven av Down To Earth.
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Denne historien er fra September 16, 2019-utgaven av Down To Earth.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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A SPRIG TO CARE FOR
Punarnava, a perennial herb, is easy to grow and has huge health benefits
DIGGING A DISASTER
Soapstone mining near Dabti Vijaypur village has caused many residents to migrate.
REVIEW THE TREATMENT
Several faecal sludge treatment plants in Uttar Pradesh suffer from design flaws that make the treatment process both expensive and inefficient
MAKE STEEL SUSTAINABLE
As India works to double its GDP by 2030, its steel industry must balance growth with sustainability. By embracing policies like the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy 2019 and adopting green technologies, India is paving the way for a more sustainable future in steel production
Can ANRF pull off the impossible for India?
Anusandhan National Research Foundation is expected to reorient India's innovation goals but funding issues, old mindsets remain a drag
TROUBLED WOODS
Forests are a great bulwark against climate change. But this is fast changing. AKSHIT SANGOMLA travels through some of the pristine patches of the Western Ghats to explore how natural disturbances triggered by global warming now threaten the forest health
BLINDING GLOW
The science is clear: increased illumination has damaging consequences for the health of humans, animals and plants. It’s time governments introduced policies to protect the natural darkness and improved the quality of outdoor lighting.
GROUND REALITY
What happens when the soil loses the ability to grow healthy, high-yield crops on its own?
GM POLICY MUST BE FARMER CENTRIC
On July 23, the Supreme Court of India directed the Union government to develop a national policy on genetically modified (GM) crops for research, cultivation, trade and commerce through public consultation.
Vinchurni's Gandhi
A 96-year-old farmer transforms barren land into a thriving forest in drought-prone region of Satara