Over Exploitation - A Critical Groundwater Problem

MAGGIRWAR
28th WEDC Conference Kolkata (Calcutta), India, 2002

SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION AND WATER SERVICES
Over exploitation – a critical groundwater problem
Bhagyashri C. Maggirwar, India
WATER DEMAND IS progressively increasing due to its use fore groundwater resources are required to be scientifically
for agriculture, industries and domestic requirements. Wher- assessed and planned for sustained development. In order
ever surface water storage or canal irrigation is absent or to achieve this objective a systematic approach in
limited, there is a greater activity of groundwater extrac- groundwater assessment has been adopted. The entire area
tion. In recent years the utilization of groundwater by of the State has been demarcated into 16 river basins and
digging wells has increased manifold due to availability of each basin is further divided into 1505 watersheds. Peri-
financial assistance from NABARD and other banking odic assessment of groundwater for all these watersheds
institutions. The density of irrigation wells has grown very has been undertaken since 1973.
critically in same watershed causing serious problems of
water scarcity and other environmental conditions. The Water Level Studies
groundwater related problems of overexploitation have It may be stated that, like the pulse in a human body, the
assumed an alarming position so as to require immediate behavior of water levels forms a valuable diagnostic tool in
remedial measures to address the situation. the hands of the Hydrogeologist to understand the health
of the groundwater reservoir. This requires the establish-
Effects of Overexploitation on ment of an adequate network to monitor the groundwater
Groundwater Regime levels both on the regional and the micro (watershed) scale,
The over extraction of groundwater i.e. excessive with- with a density of observation stations as per the scale of
drawal beyond the normal recharge in any given area investigation. Maps are essential and required to be ad-
creates many harmful effects which could be identified as: equately maintained. For a more rigorous analysis of the
• Continuous lowering of water levels. (Both pre-monsoon water level data and its relation to various causative factors,
and post- monsoon) statistical techniques should be increasingly used to replace
• Lowering of pump sets, causing low efficiency, higher the single qualitative methods. Analysis of water level
cost of operation changes affords the estimation of hydraulic parameters and
• Reduction of yields of wells, well interference due to analysis of the water level trend forms important parameter
close spacing of wells, severe drinking water scarcity in in the planning of water resources.
summer months.
• Deepening of wells, mining of groundwater from deeper Assessment of Groundwater Recharge
aquifers Withdrawal
• Increase in cost of groundwater extraction, cost benefit Periodic studies are carried out for groundwater recharge
affected and withdrawal for each watershed on the basis of field
• Damage to aquifers due to compaction, risk of ground data on water levels and pumping tests (transmissivity and
subsidence due to inter-relationship between withdrawal storativity values). A network of observation wells is set up
and downward trend in water levels due to overdraft in all the watersheds and the measurement of water levels
conditions. pre-monsoon (summer) and post-monsoon (winter) are
• Total collapse of operation & management system of taken every year. Total annual recharge is calculated on the
groundwater resource of the basin or watershed and basis of fluctuation, storage capacity and specific yield of
disturbed planned and sustained development and regu- aquifer for each watershed.
latory system in the area. Similarly total annual withdrawals for each watershed is
• The intensive high water requirements from crops such calculated by total number of wells and their average
as sugarcane, bananas, onions, grapes and oranges puts annual draft. Well inventory surveys are carried out to
high demand on groundwater requirements, which do determine the pumping hours and draft of the wells. Such
not match with natural recharge conditions. scientific studies are useful in assessing the groundwater
regime and status of development so as to provide planned
Studies in Maharashtra and sustainable development. These assessment studies
The groundwater resources in the Maharashtra State due to have shown a rapid growth in the groundwater resource
its specific hydrogeological conditions and physiographic development.As seen in fig. 1, there are a total of 7 dark
configurations have assumed a greater importance. There- watersheds in the Nashik district having more that 85% of
1
MAGGIRWAR
and regulations through enactment. The groundwater

law should be enforced, restricting new wells, capacity
of pump sets, restriction on pumping hours, limitation
of perennial crops, spacing of wells, registration of
wells, etc. These restrictive regulatory measures may be
partly useful and requires effective law implementation
machinery. It may involve litigation problem, but needs
to be pushed through for bringing discipline in
groundwater resource utilization.
2. Artificial recharge project works – The other creative

and more useful remedial measures is artificial re
charge, which is considered to be the ultimate solution
in groundwater development after direct excessive ab
straction from the aquifer. The objective is to recoup
Figure 1. Watershed map of Nashik District the excessive withdrawal of the groundwater, which
would help in reversal of declining of water level trend,
and achieve the normalcy of groundwater storage and
development as shown in the table 1. All these watersheds its utilization. The artificial recharge is an established
harvest cash crops like Onion, Sugarcane, and Groundnut, practice as a process of replenishment of the water in the
etc. requiring high water. 30 – 33% of water is drawn from groundwater storages through various works provided
groundwater sources (well draft) for non-paddy and paddy for that purpose. Both conventional and unconven
respectively during Kharif only. The number of wells in tional project works like construction of Percolation
these watersheds has gone so high that its density, as seen Tanks, Nala Bunds, Check Dams, Contour bunds,
from table 2, again contributes to the overdraft. Pitting and Trenches, Water Spreading, Bore Blast
As indicated in fig 2, the wells have gone deeper to tap the Technique, Jacket well etc have to be implemented to
water reaching the depth of about 10m or higher. There is reduce the surface run off and to compensate overdraft
a decline of water level reaching almost to the depth of well of watershed.
and the water level study of last 10 years shows the falling
trend. In addition to above remedial measures, the adoption of
modern techniques of sprinkler and drip irrigation would
Remedial Measures in Overexploited help in limiting the indiscriminate use of water applied for
Areas irrigating the crops.
In such critical overexploited areas, remedial measures are
required immediately to be undertaken to solve the prob- Conclusion
lem in stages and restore normalcy. The remedial measures The author has attempted to throw light on the
would be of two types: overexploitation of groundwater and need for undertaking
the projects of artificial recharge and water conservation in
1. Restrictive regulatory measures – It is very necessary for the overdeveloped watersheds by taking case history of
the planned development of resources to provide laws dark watersheds of Nashik district in Maharashtra. The
Water-shed Net Recharge Net Draft No. Of Development Cropping Pattern

No. (Hectare (Hectare wells Stage (%)
metre) metre)
GV 7 3354.52 3139.49 4540 93.59 Grapes
GV 15 1204.90 1253.70 1794 104.05 Sugarcane, Grapes
GV 21 2957.32 2726.53 4598 92.20 Onion, Grapes
GV 25 2388.68 2135.71 3642 89.41 Onion, Groundnut
TE 92 2147.18 2843.92 3443 132.45 Sugarcane, Jawar
TE 109 1193.94 1072.05 2146 89.79 Onion, Wheat
TE 130 3522.68 3223.61 5017 91.51 Onion, Cotton
Figure 2. 5th Groundwater Assessment based on 1998 Draft Data of Dark Watersheds in Nashik District
2
MAGGIRWAR
Figure 2. Hydrograph showing water level and the trend of the last 10 years
Sr. No. Villa ge Wa te rs he d Ge ogra phica l Tota l No. Of De ns ity pe r s q.

No. Are a (s q. km.) we lls km.
1 Dixi GV 7 3.36 241 72
2 Thergaon GV 7 1.39 150 107
3 Sundarpur GV 15 2.70 139 51
4 Atakwade GV 21 1.73 61 35
5 Bhaygaon TE 109 4.67 182 39
6 Patharde TE 109 3.04 74 24
Figure 2. 5th Groundwater Assessment based on 1998 Draft Data of Dark Watersheds in Nashik District
causative effects, field observations and the remedial meas- Agashe R.M. (1994) Hydrology of Maharashtra.
ures have been discussed in this paper. The assessment of Groundwater Surveys & Development Agency,(1998)5th
groundwater carried out by GSDA has been presented to Groundwater Assessment.
support the severity of the overexploitation and the empha-
sis is given on the artificial recharge and adoption of
modern techniques of irrigation.
References
Karanth K.R. (1987) Groundwater Assessment, Develop-
ment & Management. Tata McGraw Hill Company
Limited New Delhi. BHAGYASHRI C. MAGGIRWAR, Junior Geologist,
Maggirwar C.N. (1990) Sustainability of water harvesting, Groundwater Surveys and Development Agency, Govt. of
conservation & artificial recharge techniques in relation Maharashtra, Pune-5.
to watershed behavior in Maharashtra.

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MAGGIRWAR

28th WEDC Conference Kolkata (Calcutta), India, 2002

and regulations through enactment. The groundwater

2. Artificial recharge project works – The other creative

Water-shed Net Recharge Net Draft No. Of Development Cropping Pattern

Sr. No. Villa ge Wa te rs he d Ge ogra phica l Tota l No. Of De ns ity pe r s q.

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