Participatory Ground Water Management Model

-- Rahul BakareArghyam

• Registered as a Public Charitable Trust in 2001• Personal endowment from Rohini Nilekani• Primarily supports the Domestic WATSAN sector

Arghyam – “Offering”

Vision : Safe, sustainable water for all

Mission : To support Sustainable efforts that enhance Equity in access to

Water for all

India : the Groundwater Civilization

India is the world’s largest user of groundwater for agriculture

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India has over 20 million irrigation wells. We add 0.8 million/year.

Every fourth cultivator owns an irrigation well; non-owners depend on groundwater markets.

T. Shah, 2009

Groundwater contribution to ‘irrigation’

NET AREA IRRIGATED (MILLION HECTARES) BY SURFACE WATER AND

GROUNDWATER, 1951-2007

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1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

YEAR

NIA

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NIA by Canal NIA from Groundwater Total NIA

Indian Agricultural Statistics, various years

Close fit between NIA from

groundwater and total

NIA

Stage of GW development: spatial distribution

CGWB, 2006

Impact!

Scarcity

Quality

Quality

Geological settings – districts & states

Hydrogeology based typology

Typology 1

Typology 2

Typology 3Typology 4

Typology 5

Typology 6

Why strategise groundwater management?

Deep alluvial aquifers – quality

issues

Crystalline basement aquifers –

overexploited; fluoride

Mixed type – regions of

intensive and extensive

overexploitation

Underdeveloped groundwater, forests,

tribal hinterlands

Groundwater –

uncharted terrain

Mountain aquifers and springs

Glaring gaps in Ground Water

Mostly Supply Augmentation No Demand Regulation hence over exploitation

Lack of Aquifer data and hence understanding

Demistification for community participation

Lack of GW Paraprofessionals Aquifer mapping highly specialized function

“Invisible” resource hence CPR principles difficult to understand

Livelihood at stake hence sensitive

Regulations non existent

Drinking water not given due priority

Lack of policy on groundwater

Why Participatory Ground Water Management (PGWM) ?

APFAMGS AP Drought Adaptation Initiative (APDAI)

WASSAN Barefoot College, Tilonia Foundation for Ecological Security (FES) in

Rajasthan, MP and AP ACWADAM with Samaj Pragati Sahayog in MP

and with the Pani Panchayats in Maharashtra on knowledge-based, typology-driven aquifer-management strategies.

ACT in Kutch training local youth as para-professionals

Ralegan Siddhi and Hivre Bazar model

Efforts towards PGWM in India

Start of Pani Panchayat Movement

Community level water management system; started by Mr. Vilasrao Salunke in 1974 after the drought in Maharashtra.

Based on Surface and Ground water equitable water distribution System

  Groundwater is a Common Pool Resource (CPR) Groundwater problem be clearly defined through an

understanding of the resource and its use Principles and processes of management should cut

across different uses like drinking water, irrigation etc. Unit of engagement an aquifer and NOT Administrative

boundaries Long term engagement with community Planning, management and monitoring to be executed

by the community with the support from external agencies

Local knowledge and formal science should be prioritized… No overriding

PGWM Principles

The Agenda for PGWM

Invisible Visible

Private Resource

Common Property Resource

Supply Augmentation

Demand Regulation

National Groundwater Typology

Deep alluvial aquifers – quality

issues

Crystalline basement aquifers –

overexploited; fluoride

Mixed type – regions of

intensive and extensive

overexploitation

Underdeveloped groundwater, forests, tribal hinterlands

Groundwater –

uncharted terrain

Mountain aquifers and springs

ACWADAM

ACT

WASSAN

PSI

MPA

PGWM Network

ACWADAM – Technical

ACT - Para-

professionals

WASSAN - Watershed

PSI – Water Quality

MPA – Alluvium

PGWM

Advocacy

Action Researc

h

Training

PGWM Pilots

Thank Yourahul@arghyam.org