Getting to grips with India’s groundwater

Farmers everywhere have used underground aquifers as a convenient source of water for centuries, but the recent availability of cheap water pumps (diesel and electric) and cheap energy has made on-farm wells a reality for an increasing number of India’s smallholders. Pumps allow them to dig deeper and withdraw greater volumes of water, which in turn enable them to irrigate high-value crops.

It is estimated that a million new tube wells are sunk in India every year, which has given rise to fears that over-exploitation could irreversibly deplete water tables, increase the demand for more and more energy to extract water from ever-deeper wells, and increase the risk of reduced water quality. However, research by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) shows a more nuanced picture. While groundwater use in some of India’s drier areas needs to be regulated if it is to be sustainable, other wetter areas could help poor farmers boost their incomes through improved groundwater access. Evidence from Gujarat in the semi-arid east, and West Bengal in the monsoon-soaked west, demonstrates that there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach in groundwater management – and India’s policy makers are taking notice.

Gujarat: Lighting up villages

Gujarat, one of India’s driest states, has a long history of groundwater over-exploitation. Due to limited public irrigation, the government encouraged groundwater irrigation by subsidizing the supply of electricity to farms. However, by the 1990s, this policy had bankrupted the state’s electric utility and severely depleted Gujarat’s aquifer.

Donors and power experts recommended that the state meter all tube wells and charge farmers a consumption-linked tariff, a proposal that met with strong opposition from powerful farmer lobbies. As a result, researchers, including a team from IWMI, recommended a practical solution with three components: the intelligent rationing of farm power supply to match the irrigation needs of farmers; a power supply roster for the villages involved; and the supply of full voltage, uninterrupted power to agriculture during the rationing hours – to overcome farmer resistance.

Under the new scheme, dubbed Jyotigram Yojana or ‘lighted village’, US$ 260 million was invested in separating electricity feeder lines for agricultural and non-agricultural users. By providing regular and reliable full-voltage power, Jyotigram Yojana made it possible for farmers to keep to their irrigation schedules, conserve water, save on pump maintenance costs and use labor more efficiently. While the gross domestic product from agriculture grew at just under 3 per cent per annum for India as a whole, Gujarat recorded growth of nearly 10 per cent in the seven years from the project’s inception – the highest in India. Reducing some of the risk involved in farming helped boost on-farm incomes, and also resulted in a decrease in the number of farmers migrating to cities in search of work.

The Government of India has now accepted Gujarat’s Jyotigram initiative as a flagship scheme for its 12th five-year plan for the power sector (2012-17).

West Bengal: A contrasting scenario

A stark contrast to the Gujarat experience can be found in West Bengal, eastern India’s most populous state. To sustain the state’s population of 91 million, farmers need to harvest two to three crops a year. However, water tanks and ponds in the state are often dry by January, leaving little surface water available for crops until the monsoon rain starts in June. This makes groundwater a vital resource during the dry season.

In 2005, the state government made it compulsory for farmers to apply for permits for tube well pumps. The intention was to achieve sustainable groundwater use and maintain an inventory of wells. But applying for a permit was costly and time-consuming. As a result, most poor farmers were forced to hire expensive diesel pumps for irrigation, and agricultural growth in the state slumped from 6 per cent per annum in the 1990s to less than 2 per cent after the introduction of the permits.

Using data collected during several years of fieldwork (funded in part by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation), an IWMI research team conducted a detailed analysis of the situation and suggested that the authorities abolish the permit system, because groundwater aquifers in the state are regularly replenished by monsoon rains.

Researchers also proposed the introduction of a fixed fee for connecting a tube well to the electricity grid. Previously farmers had to bear the full cost of wires, poles and transformers; which was prohibitively expensive for many smallholders, especially those living far from existing supply lines.

Within two months of the recommendations being made in September 2011, the state government had accepted both propositions, scrapped small pump permits and introduced a flat connection fee.

The way ahead

As climate change and population growth put more pressure on agricultural systems, groundwater will become an increasingly important resource. Used wisely, it is a priceless water storage option than can keep crops watered throughout the year. This can only happen, however, if policy decisions are underpinned by careful research that puts both equity and sustainable use center stage.

Further reading:

Innovative electricity scheme sparks rural development in India’s Gujarat State
Boosting water benefits in West Bengal
Download flyer: “India: Research supports groundwater policy makers. IWMI“