Relevance: GS-3: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment

Key phrases: Conservation of water resources, States initiatives in water conservation, K-Mark Project, Government policies in conserving water,Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABHY), Jal Shakti Abhiyan Campaign

Why in News ?

• The implementation of groundwater replenishment projects in Kachchh district of Gujarat proved successful in reviving the defunct borewells and giving hope to the farmers.

Background

• Kachchh is the second largest district in India, covering 25 per cent area of Gujarat.
• Known for its extreme climatic conditions and erratic monsoon, frequent occurrence of drought is a common feature in this district.
• With no perennial rivers in Kachchh, farmers depend on groundwater to support agriculture, which is their main source of livelihood.
• Due to successive low rainfall in 2016, 2017 and 2018, many farmers in Mandvi (a village in the Kachchh district) started drilling new bore wells as the existing ones had become defunct.
• A few farmers tried drilling bore wells in the open wells, but those also had dried up as the inconsistent monsoon had pushed down the groundwater table almost at a rate of 20 feet a year.

It was in this background that the seeds of the movement for groundwater recharge were planted under the K-MARC (Kankavati-Managed Aquifer Recharge through Communities) project in Kachchh.

About K- MARK Project

• The meaning of the word kankavati is the ‘golden bowl’, which is used to keep turmeric and kumkum (red turmeric powder). And in the context of Kachchh, kankavati is water, and water is gold.
• K-MARC started as a demonstration project of recharging five bore wells in Gundiyali and Bagh villages of Mandvi.
• After the monsoon of just 58 mm rain during 2018, two of the farmers who were part of the demonstration project observed an increase in the water table of the bore well.
• Realizing that the K-MARC project has yielded results, the Bhujal Jankars (who understand the groundwater scenario) team of the K-MARC further identified about 65 other farmers based on the following criteria:
  • farmers with less than or equal to five acres of land, with the higher weightage for the lower caste;
  • defunct borewells with a distance at least 500 m between each other;
  • beneficiary willing to contribute either in cash or kind of at least 10 percent of the total cost of the project.
• By judiciously using the improved groundwater through drip irrigation system, these farmers are hopeful of cultivating both in kharif and rabi seasons.
• The entire financial resources for the project came from community organizations, religious groups and participating farmers.

The Mechanism of the Project

• First the catchment area of the rainwater is identified and the slope of the terrain is ascertained to ensure the flow of water to the bore wells.
• Two cement structures for inflow and outflow of water with filtering chambers are constructed.
• The structures are filled with 45-65 mm size stones up to four feet of the structure, and above which one feet of medium coarse sand is spread.
• The distance between the two structures is maintained around 50 meters to ensure the recharge is successful.
• From the rainwater inflow structure, a pipe made of PVC/iron/ cement with 8-10 inches diameter is connected with the outflow structure.
• The defunct bore well is connected to the outflow chamber.
• During the monsoon, the navigated water flows through the built chambers which rejuvenates the bore well.

Status of Water Stress in India

• Ground Water
  • India has the dubious distinction of being the world’s largest user of groundwater by far, even as the water table has been falling by an average of 0.4 m nationally.
  • Water table in Bihar has fallen by several feet of late as per some reports.
• Surface Water
  • One recent report mentions that over 70% of surface irrigation water is being simply wasted, nationally.
  • Given suboptimal command area development and distribution of water in ill-maintained (and uncovered) canals, leads to the suboptimal utilization of water infrastructure and often results in heavy soil erosion and siltation.
• Monsoon
  • A recent report by the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) shows a ‘significant’ drop in rainfall in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal over the past three decades, and rising variability in the monsoons nationwide.
  • Also, the hydrological conditions vary widely across regions. While some are drought-prone, others witness recurring floods.
  • Geological factors like steep slopes contribute to the lesser usability of the rainwater.

Due to poor utilization of available water such groundwater replenishment projects become more significant for India.

Initiative Taken by Other States in Conserving Water Resources

• Rajasthan – Mukhya Mantri Jal Swalambhan Abhiyan (MJSA)
  • It was launched in 2016.The objective is to make villages self-sufficient in water through participatory water management approach.
• Andhra Pradesh – Neeru Chettu Programme
  • The objective is to make Andhra Pradesh drought-proof and reduce economic inequalities through better water conservation and management practices. Highlights of the program are given below.
• Maharashtra – Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan
  • Launched in 2015 – 16, with the aim of making 5000 villages water scarcity free, every year.
• Telangana – Mission Kakatiya Program
  • It was launched in 2014 Aims to restore 46,000 tanks across the state and bring over 20 lakh acres land under cultivation.
• Gujarat – Sujalam Sufalam Yojana
  • It was launched in 2018 and its Target to increase water storage capacity by 11,000 lakh cubic feet through deepening of 13,000 lakes, check dams, and reservoirs. The program was a success as per media reports.
• Madhya Pradesh – Kapil Dhara Yojana
  • The object is to develop irrigation facilities on private land of small and marginal farmers, through the construction of dug wells, farm ponds, check dams etc.
• Punjab – Pani Bachao Paise Kamao
  • It is an innovative program, where farmers are provided with fixed electricity quota and receive Rs 4 per KWh (Kilowatt-hour) for every unit of electricity saved through Direct Benefits Transfer (DBT).
• Uttar Pradesh – Jakhni Village, Bundelkhand
  • THe objective is to constructing farm ponds, restoration/rejuvenation of water bodies, collection and utilization of greywater,raising of farm bunds and intensive plantation of trees

The Policy initiatives for water conservation in India

• National Water Policy (2012)
  • It has been formulated by Department of Water Resources, RD & GR, which advocates rainwater harvesting and conservation of water and highlights the need for augmenting the availability of water through direct use of rainfall
• Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA)
  • It has been constituted under Section 3 (3) of the “Environment (Protection) Act, 1986” for the purpose of regulation and control of ground water development and management in the Country.
• Jal Shakti Abhiyan Campaign
  • It has been launched in 2019 with focus on five aspects
    • Water conservation and rainwater harvesting
    • Renovation of traditional and other water bodies
    • Reuse of water and recharging of structures
    • Watershed development
    • Intensive afforestation
    • Drinking Water Sanitation
• Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABHY)
  • It is a Rs.6000 crore scheme with World Bank funding, for sustainable management of ground water with community participation is being taken up in the identified over-exploited and water stressed areas fall in the States of Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
• Adoption of Composite Water Management Index (CWMI)
  • NITI Aayog has developed the Composite Water Management Index (CWMI) to enable effective water management in Indian states.

Conclusion

• Depletion of water resources due to overuse and decline in water supplies due to climate change is pushing India closer to the tipping point of water scarcity.
• Apart from these, several government policies especially pertaining to Agriculture (minimum support price), also resulted in over-exploitation of water.
• These factors make India a water-stressed economy. In this context, for sustainable utilization of the stressed water resource, there is a need for follow-through action under the framework of cooperative federalism and citizen activism.

Source: The Hindu BL

Mains Question:

Q. “With the looming water crisis situation, the government needs to promote the role of locals and civil societies in water conservation.” Discuss.