Groundwater Governance in India: From Over-Exploitation to Sustainable Water Security

Groundwater constitutes nearly 99% of the Earth’s liquid freshwater and provides immense social, economic, and environmental benefits, particularly in enhancing climate resilience. In India, groundwater forms the backbone of agriculture and drinking water security, meeting nearly 62% of irrigation requirements, 85% of rural drinking water needs, and about 50% of urban demand. However, rapid population growth, intensification of agriculture, industrial expansion, and accelerating urbanisation have exerted unprecedented pressure on groundwater systems.

Understanding Groundwater Systems

Groundwater refers to freshwater that percolates through soil and rock layers and is stored underground before emerging naturally or being extracted for human use. It plays a vital role in maintaining base flow in rivers and streams and sustaining wetland ecosystems.

The underground geological formations capable of storing and transmitting groundwater in usable quantities are known as aquifers. Water from aquifers may discharge naturally through springs or be extracted using dug wells, tube wells, and borewells, making aquifer health central to water security.

Groundwater Management: Elements and Priorities

Groundwater management is an integral component of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). It focuses on:
Understanding the functions and uses of aquifers
Identifying pressures and threats such as over-extraction and contamination
Assessing the impact of management interventions on sustainability
According to UNESCO, effective groundwater management rests on four key priorities:
1. Sound scientific knowledge of aquifers
2. Strong governance and regulatory frameworks
3. Stakeholder participation and community involvement
4. Sustainable abstraction and recharge practices

Why Groundwater Management is Necessary in India

India possesses extensive groundwater reserves, but their availability and quality vary widely across regions. In recent decades, these reserves have faced severe stress due to multiple factors:
1. Rising Pressure on Groundwater Systems: Largely unregulated extraction has led to alarming declines in water tables across many regions, especially in north-western and peninsular India.
2. Degradation of Groundwater Quality: Groundwater contamination from industrial effluents, mining activities, excessive fertiliser use, and naturally occurring arsenic and fluoride has emerged as a major public health and environmental concern.
3. Drivers of Uncontrolled Abstraction: Affordable drilling technologies and pumping equipment have enabled widespread construction of private tube wells, even among small farmers, leading to tragedy-of-the-commons type exploitation.
Recognising these challenges, effective groundwater management has become central to India’s commitments under COP-21, climate resilience strategies, and the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—particularly SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities), and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption).

Government Initiatives Strengthening Groundwater Management

To address the escalating groundwater crisis, the Government of India has adopted a multi-pronged strategy combining regulation, scientific assessment, recharge, monitoring, and community participation.

Model Groundwater (Regulation and Control of Development and Management) Bill

To curb indiscriminate extraction and promote sustainable practices such as rainwater harvesting and artificial recharge, the Central Government prepared a Model Groundwater Bill.
The Bill has been adopted by 21 States and Union Territories, including Bihar, Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh.
The Centre promotes adoption through State Water Ministers’ conferences, technical workshops, and deliberations under the National Interdepartmental Steering Committee (NISC) on Groundwater.

Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain (JSA: CTR)

Launched on World Water Day (22 March 2021), this nationwide campaign aims to transform water conservation into a people’s movement.

Its five key interventions include:
1. Water conservation and rainwater harvesting
2. Geo-tagging and inventory of water bodies
3. Establishment of Jal Shakti Kendras in all districts
4. Afforestation
5. Awareness generation

Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB)

Launched in September 2024, JSJB operates under JSA: CTR and promotes community-led groundwater recharge through:
1. Rainwater harvesting
2. Recharge shafts
3. Borewell recharge
4. Aquifer recharge
As of 22 January 2026, over 39.6 lakh artificial recharge and storage works have been completed under JSJB 1.0 and 2.0.

National Aquifer Mapping and Management Programme (NAQUIM)

Implemented by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), NAQUIM aims to:
1. Characterise aquifers
2. Assess groundwater availability and quality
3. Prepare detailed aquifer maps
4. Develop area-specific management strategies
NAQUIM 2.0 (2023–present) enhances data granularity up to the Panchayat level, focusing on water-stressed, coastal, urban, industrial, mining, and poor-quality groundwater regions.

Master Plan for Artificial Recharge to Groundwater – 2020