4. Participatory Groundwater Management: Lessons from Programmes Across India

Abstract

With an annual extraction of 230 cubic kilometres, India is the largest user of groundwater in the world. The value derived from the use of groundwater for irrigation is estimated to be four times the annual investments in irrigation projects. However, unregulated abstraction of groundwater has led to more than 60 percent of districts being affected by scarcity or quality issues. To tackle this, an alternate paradigm that espouses resource understanding and community participation has been tested under the Participatory Groundwater Management (PGWM) programme. In practice areas, the PGWM programme has led to increase in groundwater levels and, in some cases, improved crop productivity through the evolution of protocols for better water use. Several principles enshrined in the PGWM approach are now finding place in governance frameworks for groundwater management.