Shallow Aquifers

This case study is about Samerth's efforts to achieve drinking water security, in participation with local village communities in Rapar, Kachchh (Gujarat). Arghyam has been collaborating with Samerth on this effort since 2007.

The Best Part of the Story: Guest post by Keya Acharya

The landscape is barren in parts with just high heat and sun-bleached sand, the hallmarks of wastelands; in other parts there is some semblance of agriculture, with jowar, bajra and sometimes castor growing in small patches of mild green, without the lushness that good watering provides.

And in the middle of this landscape there appears, like an oasis without the accompanying palms, the ‘Tinnavahd talab’, a drinking water pond constructed by the community at Rabarkar vand, near Lakhagarh village in Rapar taluk of Kutch district. Inside the pond there is a dugwell, constructed on the pond bed.

Mazhapolima was a participatory well recharge programme initiated by the Thrissur district, under which domestic water sources were recharged with rainwater harvested (usually) from roof tops.

Unrestricted flow, reproduction and redistribution of data has been a great concern with most of the projects and research establishments in India. As we heard the Secretary of Ministry of Water Resources voice his recommendations on the ways to tackle the looming water crisis, and the steps that the ministry is taking towards this, we thought of first putting down the highlights of the talks raw, before we get back to them in a detailed manner.

While we compile together all the presentations and papers, here' s a quick update on the talks from the first day. On the research challenges for improving the use and productivity of natural resources in India, Dr. Anil Singh, Deputy Director General, Natural Resource Management, Indian Council of Agriculture Research had an interesting observation linking fertilizer use with water consumption in the gangetic basin. It is assumed that both of these factors impact the crop productivity and this needs to be explored further.

He suggests:

• India needs a ground water management policy.
• The issues discussed in the workshop cut across all the basins in the country and have long term implications.
• Gangetic Basin is critical for our food security
• The attempt to reduce the cropping area would be a difficult proposition. We would have to live with it... area under cultivation is poised to increase and we might want to consider technological options like the cultivation of aerobic rice, SRI etc.
• Another answer is mechanization in the agricultural sector. This may enhance efficiency.
• We must consider a shift to precision farming as well.

Two new publications from the IGB project were released today by the Chief Guest at the workshop, U.N. Panjiar, the Secretary to the Ministry of Water Resources, Government of India. Releasing the reports, Mr. Panjiar presented the government's perception of the present water situation along with some statistical data on the water usage. The challenges of food security and water security are global. Climate change has been an increasing concern too. He observes food security, water secutiry and climate change are closely related. The objective of food security cannot be achieved without water security.

 U.N. Panjiar releasing the IWMI publications on Indus-Gangetic Basin with Bharat Sharma and Madar Samad

Anil Singh delivering his speech

Mr. Panjiar puts forward the following recommendations, stating that these could possibly help us manage well, the problem of water crisis.

• A comprehensive water database should be developed.
• Assessment of impact of climate change on rescources is required.
• Promotion of citizen and state action for conservation of resources.
• Focus on overexploited areas.
• 15% aquifers in country are overexploite and another 15 are critical. We must increase water reuse by 20%.
• Basin level resource management is essential.
• Irrigation potential crated and irrigation potential utilized must be to the optimal levels.
• In agreement with Simon Cook, he emphasizes that efficiency is an important issue.
• Water, energy and food productivity are closely linked. This relation and interdependence must be explored.
• Remote Sensing techniques are critical in agriculture and basin management.

 

Government of India has launched a Water Resource Information System and most of the data is being made public under this project! Policy too, is being revised to make most of the data public and it is projected to be launched by the end of current financial year. Launching a National Water Mission of India is also being mulled over. (Read the related documents here)

Stating that it is important to ensure technology transfer to farmers to achieve “more crop per drop” he talks about a project conducted by the ministry in which 5000 demonstrations of relevant farm technologies were given to the farmers. The interim report of this project indicates that use of such technological interventions is important in improving the yield of the crop and improve water efficiency!

This set of maps, give a picture of the groundwater situation in Abdasa taluka of Kutch District, Gujarat

The aim of this report is to highlight the quality problems encountered in the groundwater in the state. The chemical parameters which are present in groundwater in excess of the prescribed norms and which are considered harmful beyond permissible limits are discussed in detail.

The study collected 918 samples from 735 locations across an area of 400 square kilometers of the city and its environs. The samples were collected in March and April of 2003. Testing was done for 25 parameters. The results indicate that -

District-wise report of habitations covered for water supply, hand pumps, irrigation, flood control and command area development

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The Sachetana Drinking Water project of the Government of Karnataka covers 15 villages in each of the taluks of Bagepalli (Chikkaballapur), Mundargi (Gadag), Sira (Tumkur) and Pavagada (Tumkur).

The baseline survey covers a representative portion of the villages and families of the above and contains the following information:

This report from the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) deals with the status of groundwater in the Wardha district of Maharashtra.

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