Groundwater

India is the largest user of groundwater resources in the world. It is estimated that approximately 230 cubic kilometers per year is used annually, this is more than a quarter of the total world consumption from this resource.

It is in this context that this World Bank report looks at the reasons for this quantum of groundwater usage.

The report delves into socio-economic and political reasons and looks at policies which inadvertently promote so much extraction. The report also analyses various attempts to manage this resource. These attempts range from government and international agency efforts directed to grassroots mobilisations. Finally the report comes out with suggestions to deal with this crisis.

Aurangabad, a city in central Maharashtra is in a drought prone region, and being a rapidly urbanising town, is facing a lot of pressure on ots water resources. Besides importing water there has been an increasing trend of ground water extraction.

In this context, a survey of groundwater use was conducted as part of a World Bank study on Indian groundwater management. The study was a collaboration between GW MATE(Groundwater Management Advisory Team) and GRASP (Grass Roots Action for Social Participation), an Aurangabad-based civil society organization working on community-based natural resource management.

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We work with 1,646 village institutions in 27 districts across six states, and assist the village communities in protecting 108,594 hectares of revenue wastelands, degraded forestlands and panchayat grazing lands. We support panchayats and their subcommittees, Village Forest Committees, Gramya Jungle Committees, Water Users Associations and Watershed Committees in order to improve the governance of natural resources.

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ITC Limited is one of India’s biggest diversified corporations. Its extensive social investments programme combines effective community participation and social organisation with increasing agricultural productivity and sustainable management of natural resources. They are concentrated in remote rural areas in different parts of India. In addition to focus on natural resources management, equal emphasis is given to off-farm livelihoods. To achieve excellence in its rural development programmes in Karnataka, ITC is looking for a dynamic and a highly motivated professional to spearhead its community development initiatives.

Organizer: Central Ground Water Board

Venue: AP Shinde Symposium Hall, NASC Complex, ICAR, DPS Marg, PUSA, New Delhi.

It argues that while the consequences of negative groundwater draft have mostly been viewed as an ecological disaster, the externalities of groundwater depletion pose greater concern for socio-economic equity in the access to this resource.

 'The Bill proposes to get compensation from the company and to form a tribunal to provide time-bound compensation. The tribunal is to have a chairman, a technical member and an administrative member'.

Organizer: Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology

Venue: Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG), Dehradun

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This paper presents the case of Khazana Bawali - a large ancient well that irrigated around 1000 acres in the past but is now in disrepair. The well is about 20 metres in diameter which stores rainwater from the neighbouring hills. The water is brought through underground tunnels that have ventilators at regular intervals to ensure fresh air and also to help in its manual cleaning. This well today irrigates only about 525 acres. It was built by the Jagirdar of Beed in 1582.