The groundwater potential of the gangetic valley is on a serious decline. How may it affect the food security of India?

As per“Interconnected Disaster Risks Report 2023” of the UN, Some areas in the Indo-Gangetic basin in India have already passed the groundwater depletion tipping pointand its entire northwestern region is predicted to experience critically low groundwater availability by 2025. As per CGWA, groundwater storage levels in the Ganga basin have been declining by 2.6 centimeters per year.

## Reasons for declining groundwater potential in gangetic valley

• Overextraction: Eg. CGWB noted rural areas in Gangetic Valley rely 70% ongroundwater leading to unsustainable extraction rates.


• Urbanization: has increased impermeable surfaces, reducing natural groundwater recharge and increasing runoff.Eg- As per Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) data,city harvests only 10 percent of the rainwater while the rest 90 percent drains away wasted.


• Pollution: Contamination from agricultural runoff, industrial discharges, and inadequate waste management reduces the quality and usability of groundwater resources.


• Land Use Changes: Modifications in land use, such asdeforestation and conversion of land especially at Himalayan foothills for agriculture or urban development, disrupt the natural hydrological cycle and groundwater recharge processes.


• Climate Change:Variability in precipitation patterns due to climate change affects the natural recharge of groundwater systems, leading toperiods of both drought and flooding, which make rainfall unable to recharge groundwater.

## Groundwater Decline Impact on food security

• Declining food production –Punjab and Haryana produce50 percent of the country’s rice supplyand85 percent of its wheat stocks.


• Declining food productivity:over 85% of Groundwater extracted is used for agriculture. Eg- 1-meter decline in groundwater from its long-term mean results in an approximately 8 percent reduction in food grain production.


• Shift in Cropping Patterns– Shifting from traditional crops like wheat and rice to less water-demanding options, such as millets and pulses, may not meet India’s food demand, risking staple availability and increasing prices.


• Food Inflation –A decline in agricultural productivity due to groundwater depletion can lead to higher food prices, disproportionately affecting the poor and vulnerable populations, thus threatening food affordability.


• Increased farm distressbecause of reduced groundwater availablity leading tocrop failures, reduced farmer income and indebtedness, leading todepeasantizationfurther impacting food production.


• Land degradation and desertificationdue to overuse of groundwater which leads toalkaline and saline soildeclining production of wheat and rice which aresensitive to alkalinity and over salinity. Eg. Lands of western UP, Haryana, Punjab

## Way Forward to Solve Groundwater Potential’s decline

• micro- irrigation systems


• Mandatory permits and  Metering of groundwater usage


• Zoning regulations:to control the density of borewells and establish ‘no-go’ zones


• Implementation ofMihir Shah report (2016)which seeks to unify CGWB and Central Water commission to prepare a unified national level plan to manage groundwater extraction.


• Install water-efficient fixturessuch as low-flow faucets, promote use of greywater recycling systems, and use treated water for non-potable purposes like irrigation and toilet flushing.

Best Practice Case StudyAndhra Pradesh Farmer Managed Groundwater Systems(APFAMGS) project – led to a20-30% reduction in groundwater extractionCommunity Led Springshed Management in Kumaon Region of Uttarakhand

The groundwater clock is ticking towards day zero. India needs a combination of strategy and investment to safeguard and revitalize the same.

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