Groundwater, the invisible reward – The Hindu

Groundwater is an important however usually ignored useful resource that sustains India’s agriculture, industries, and consuming water provide. Saved in underground aquifers—porous rock formations that maintain water like a sponge—it serves because the lifeblood of the nation. The monsoon performs a key function in replenishing these aquifers, however the delicate stability between extraction and recharge is more and more below risk.

India is the world’s largest extractor of groundwater, accounting for 25% of world utilization. Tens of millions depend on it for irrigation and day by day wants, but unsustainable withdrawal, air pollution, and local weather change have led to alarming depletion charges. Areas like Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan face extreme groundwater stress as a consequence of over-extraction for farming. Managing this invisible but very important useful resource is crucial to making sure long-term water safety for future generations.

Standing and Atlas

The Nationwide Groundwater Atlas gives a complete evaluation of groundwater availability throughout India, revealing stark regional disparities. Whereas states like West Bengal and Bihar profit from fertile alluvial aquifers and river-fed reserves, extreme withdrawal—particularly in Punjab for water-intensive crops like rice—has led to vital depletion.

Conversely, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu face extreme water stress as a consequence of low rainfall, exhausting rock aquifers, and gradual recharge charges. Gujarat presents a blended image, with some areas experiencing acute shortages whereas others profit from river-fed reserves. The Atlas highlights these contrasts, providing essential insights for policymakers to develop focused groundwater administration methods. As over-extraction continues to outpace pure replenishment in lots of areas, sustainable conservation efforts are important to make sure long-term groundwater safety.

Treasure beneath

Groundwater is an important however usually ignored useful resource that sustains India’s agriculture, industries, and consuming water provide. Saved in underground aquifers—porous rock formations that maintain water like a sponge—it serves because the lifeblood of the nation. The monsoon performs a key function in replenishing these aquifers, however the delicate stability between extraction and recharge is more and more below risk.

A nicely at a farmer’s discipline close to Humnabad Industrial Space crammed with chemically contaminated groundwater.
| Picture Credit score:
KUMAR BURADIKATTI

Threats

India’s groundwater is below rising strain as a consequence of over-extraction, contamination, and local weather change, making sustainable administration essential for long-term water safety.

Over-extraction: Extreme groundwater withdrawal for irrigation, industries, and concrete consumption is quickly depleting aquifers, particularly in Punjab, Haryana, and Tamil Nadu. The unchecked use of borewells is pushing water tables to dangerously low ranges.

Salinity and contamination: Pure and human-induced air pollution is rendering groundwater unsafe for consuming and agriculture. West Bengal and Bihar face excessive arsenic contamination, whereas Rajasthan struggles with fluoride contamination, posing extreme well being dangers.

Local weather change impression: Unpredictable monsoons, extended droughts, and rising temperatures are decreasing groundwater recharge charges. Areas like Gujarat and Maharashtra are significantly susceptible, with erratic rainfall worsening the disaster.

Groundwater contamination

City groundwater disaster

Cities like Delhi, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad face extreme depletion as a consequence of unregulated borewell drilling and speedy urbanization.

Bengaluru water disaster (2024): Bengaluru all of the sudden grew to become the centre of nationwide consideration as town’s acute water scarcity made headlines. Borewells ran dry, lakes shrank as a consequence of over-extraction and erratic rainfall, and residents in lots of areas have been left scrambling for costly personal water tankers. The disaster sparked widespread discussions on social media and in coverage circles, with consultants calling for pressing motion. Industries and IT hubs confronted disruptions, forcing companies to rethink their water dependency. The state of affairs underscored the pressing want for rainwater harvesting, stricter groundwater laws, and sustainable city planning to forestall future crises.

Residents accumulate free water from a tanker amid water disaster, in Bengaluru.
| Picture Credit score:
SHAILENDRA BHOJAK

Chennai’s Water Disaster (2019): Showcased the hazards of over-extraction, prompting higher give attention to rainwater harvesting and synthetic recharge.

The primary particular ‘water’ practice with 2.5 million litres of water from Jolarpet to Chennai arrived at Villivakkam to assist town tide over the extreme water scarcity. The Tamil Nadu Authorities requested the Southern Railway to move water from Jolarpettai to Villivakkam to provide 10 million litres per day of consuming water to town.

How is groundwater recharged?

Groundwater recharging is a means of refilling underground water reserves (aquifers) by pure and synthetic means.

Pure recharge

• Precipitation: Rain and snowmelt infiltrate the soil and percolate down into aquifers.

• Floor water: Rivers, lakes, and wetlands contribute to recharge as water seeps into underground layers.

• Interflow & baseflow: Some water strikes laterally by soil layers earlier than reaching deeper aquifers, sustaining river movement in dry seasons.

• Elements affecting recharge: Soil sort (permeable vs. clayey), vegetation (roots create infiltration pathways), topography (mild slopes retain water), and local weather (rainfall patterns).

Synthetic recharge

People actively help groundwater recharge by strategies like:

• Verify dams & percolation ponds: These decelerate water movement, permitting extra time for seepage.

• Recharge wells: Specifically designed wells immediately inject water into aquifers.

• Rainwater harvesting: Gathering and storing rainwater in tanks or directing it into the bottom by recharge pits.

• Canal irrigation: Water from canals seeps underground, replenishing native water tables.

• Aquifer Storage and Restoration (ASR): In cities like Chennai, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra, handled water or extra monsoon runoff is injected into aquifers for later use.

• Floodwater administration: In flood-prone states like Bihar, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh, extra river water from the Ganga and Brahmaputra is diverted into recharge constructions corresponding to synthetic wetlands and retention basins.

Conventional water conservation methods:

Baolis (Stepwells): Utilized in Rajasthan and Gujarat to gather and retailer rainwater.

Eri System (Tamil Nadu): Historic tanks constructed for water conservation and groundwater recharge, nonetheless in use at present.

Zabo System (Nagaland): Indigenous water harvesting methodology that integrates agriculture and livestock farming.

Why is groundwater recharge vital?

• Maintains water availability throughout droughts

• Prevents over-extraction and depletion of aquifers

• Helps rivers, lakes, and wetlands by sustaining underground movement

• Reduces soil erosion and land subsidence

Revival of wells in Rajasthan: Successful story

In Rajasthan’s Alwar district, the revival of conventional johads (examine dams) has remodeled barren lands into fertile fields. Led by neighborhood efforts, these constructions helped recharge groundwater, restoring dried-up wells and guaranteeing water safety. This success story has impressed related conservation initiatives throughout India’s water-stressed areas.