Groundwater, the invisible gift – The Hindu

Groundwater is an important however typically ignored useful resource that sustains India’s agriculture, industries, and consuming water provide. Stored in underground aquifers—porous rock formations that maintain water like a sponge—it serves as the lifeblood of the nation. The monsoon performs a key function in replenishing these aquifers, however the delicate steadiness 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. Millions depend on it for irrigation and each day wants, but unsustainable withdrawal, air pollution, and local weather change have led to alarming depletion charges. Regions like Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan face extreme groundwater stress resulting from over-extraction for farming. Managing this invisible but very important useful resource is important to making sure lengthy-time period water safety for future generations.

Status and Atlas

The National Groundwater Atlas supplies a complete evaluation of groundwater availability throughout India, revealing stark regional disparities. While 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 important depletion.

Groundwater availability in India: The map highlights regional disparities, with pink-marked states (Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu) experiencing extreme water stress resulting from low recharge charges and over-extraction, whereas yellow-marked states (Punjab, Bihar, and West Bengal) have higher groundwater reserves however face depletion dangers resulting from extreme withdrawal for agriculture.

Conversely, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu face extreme water stress resulting from low rainfall, arduous rock aquifers, and sluggish recharge charges. Gujarat presents a combined 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 lengthy-time period groundwater safety.

Treasure beneath

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

A properly at a farmer’s discipline close to Humnabad Industrial Area full of chemically contaminated groundwater.
| Photo Credit:
KUMAR BURADIKATTI

Threats

India’s groundwater is below rising strain resulting from over-extraction, contamination, and local weather change, making sustainable administration essential for lengthy-time period water safety.

Over-extraction: Excessive 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: Natural 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.

Climate change influence: Unpredictable monsoons, extended droughts, and rising temperatures are lowering groundwater recharge charges. Regions like Gujarat and Maharashtra are significantly weak, with erratic rainfall worsening the disaster.

Groundwater contamination

Urban groundwater disaster

Cities like Delhi, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad face extreme depletion resulting from unregulated borewell drilling and fast urbanization.

Bengaluru water disaster (2024): Bengaluru all of the sudden grew to become the centre of nationwide consideration as the metropolis’s acute water scarcity made headlines. Borewells ran dry, lakes shrank resulting from over-extraction and erratic rainfall, and residents in lots of areas had been left scrambling for costly personal water tankers. The disaster sparked widespread discussions on social media and in coverage circles, with specialists 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 rules, and sustainable city planning to forestall future crises.

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

Chennai’s Water Crisis (2019): Showcased the risks of over-extraction, prompting better concentrate on rainwater harvesting and synthetic recharge.

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

How is groundwater recharged?

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

Natural recharge

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

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

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

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

Artificial recharge

Humans actively help groundwater recharge by means of strategies like:

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

• Recharge wells: Specially designed wells instantly inject water into aquifers.

• Rainwater harvesting: Collecting and storing rainwater in tanks or directing it into the floor by means of recharge pits.

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

• Aquifer Storage and Recovery (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-inclined states like Bihar, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh, extra river water from the Ganga and Brahmaputra is diverted into recharge buildings equivalent to synthetic wetlands and retention basins.

Traditional water conservation techniques:

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

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

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

Why is groundwater recharge vital?

• Maintains water availability throughout droughts

• Prevents over-extraction and depletion of aquifers

• Supports 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 buildings helped recharge groundwater, restoring dried-up wells and guaranteeing water safety. This success story has impressed comparable conservation tasks throughout India’s water-burdened areas.