Groundwater Irrigation

This report by Institute for Resource Analysis and Policy attempts to address issues related to groundwater management in Andhra Pradesh. With 49 per cent of the total irrigation from groundwater, the state of Andhra Pradesh accounts for 5.3 per cent of the net groundwater irrigated area in the country. While the state remains as one of the largest exporters of rice, with paddy accounting for nearly 70 per cent of the state’s total irrigated area, groundwater depletion poses serious challenges to not only the agricultural production and rural livelihoods, but also to the nation’s food security.

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The paper from Columbia Water Center is  on the ground water crisis occurring in the Mehasana region, an area in the northern part of Gujarat. A large number of farmers and well operators were interviewed in the process. Data was also collected from the power utility that supplies power to this region. Along with this the climatic peculiarities of the region, farmers and well users perceptions on ground water management and use were also collected. The study concludes that the current rate of ground water exploitation is untenable both for the state and for the farmers of this region. The study is the first step in the Centre's plan to draw out a plan to design policy options on water use that are sustainable.

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This presentation deals with performance of India’s water sector and the challenges therein. The sector is marked by large-scale water development projects like big dams. There has been an absence of a credible assessment of performance of large dams while new ways are being attempted to push big projects such as interlinking of rivers, food security, flood control, Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Project, National Projects, advocacy to increase storage capacities, clean (hydro) energy and climate change.

The presentation discusses the strong push for large hydropower projects these days, while they continue to give diminishing returns. The sector is marked by unviable projects, over development, optimistic assumptions, siltation, inadequate repair and maintenance, Run of the River projects, etc.

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This study by Institute for Resource Management and Economic Development (IRMED) for Ministry for Water Resources (MoWR) in response to the challenge of sound governance of ground water resources underscores the need to review the legal and institutional framework for regulating ground water utilization in India.Read More