Is groundwater India’s biggest invisible employer?

Groundwater in India, often dubbed the 'biggest invisible employer,' plays an indispensable role in sustaining rural livelihoods, underpinning agricultural productivity, and meeting the domestic water needs of a vast population. The article highlights a critical challenge: the prevailing practice of treating subsurface water as a 'private tap' rather than a 'shared capital stock.' This approach, deeply ingrained in India's agricultural and legal frameworks, has led to unsustainable exploitation, threatening the very resilience of rural economies.

The background to this situation is rooted in India's post-independence development trajectory. Following the Green Revolution in the late 1960s and 1970s, there was a massive push for food security. With limited surface irrigation infrastructure, farmers increasingly turned to groundwater. The availability of inexpensive, often subsidized, electricity for pumps, coupled with the legal ambiguity of groundwater ownership (often linked to land ownership), incentivized individual farmers to extract water without much regulation. This period saw a dramatic increase in the number of borewells and tubewells, transforming India into the world's largest groundwater user. While this fueled agricultural growth and lifted millions out of poverty, it also set the stage for the current crisis of over-extraction and declining water tables.

The key stakeholders in this complex issue are numerous and diverse. Farmers, particularly small and marginal ones, are at the forefront, depending on groundwater for irrigation and domestic use. State governments, through their water and power departments, play a crucial role in policy formulation, electricity subsidies, and regulation, though their actions have often contributed to the problem. The Central Government, through initiatives like the Jal Shakti Abhiyan, Atal Bhujal Yojana, and the National Water Policy (2012), attempts to provide a national framework and funding, but water being a State Subject (Entry 17 of the State List in the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution) limits its direct intervention capabilities. Local communities and Panchayati Raj Institutions are vital for implementing sustainable practices at the grassroots level. Additionally, industries, urban centers, and environmental organizations are significant stakeholders, each with their demands and concerns regarding groundwater resources.

This issue matters profoundly for India. Economically, groundwater supports nearly two-thirds of India's irrigated area and meets over 80% of rural and 50% of urban water requirements. Its depletion directly threatens food security, agricultural incomes, and rural employment. Socially, falling water tables disproportionately affect marginal farmers who cannot afford deeper borewells, exacerbating rural inequality and distress. Environmentally, over-extraction leads to land subsidence, salinization of freshwater aquifers, and ecological degradation. Politically, interstate water disputes are common, and the looming water crisis could intensify these conflicts, impacting national stability.

Historically, the lack of a clear, comprehensive national groundwater law has been a significant hurdle. While the Central Government has periodically introduced 'Model Bills' for Ground Water Management (e.g., in 1970, 1992, 2005, 2011, and the latest in 2020), states have been slow to adopt and implement them effectively. The National Water Policy of 2012 emphasizes sustainable management and community participation but lacks statutory backing. Constitutional provisions like Article 21 (Right to Life), interpreted to include the right to water, underscore the state's responsibility. Directive Principles of State Policy (Articles 38, 39) also mandate the state to promote welfare and ensure equitable distribution of resources, which extends to water. However, the 'State Subject' status of water makes a uniform national approach challenging.

The future implications are stark. If the current trajectory of groundwater exploitation continues, India faces a severe water crisis, impacting agricultural productivity, public health, and economic growth. The shift towards treating groundwater as a 'shared capital stock' is imperative. This entails a paradigm shift from individual ownership to community stewardship, requiring robust regulatory frameworks, participatory groundwater management, efficient irrigation techniques (like micro-irrigation promoted under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana), water harvesting, and aquifer recharge programs. Initiatives like the Atal Bhujal Yojana, launched in 2019, aim to improve groundwater management through community participation in water-stressed areas. The success of such programs, coupled with greater awareness and political will, will determine India's water security and the resilience of its rural livelihoods in the decades to come.