Climate Change and Groundwater

Governance in Gujarat, India:

IWRM in Practice?

Tushaar Shah, IWMI and GWP-TEC

A decade of IWRM watching Gujarat 1990-2000 Gujarat 2000-2010

Groundwater supplying 70% of irrigated area

Groundwater supplying 70% of irrigated area

700,000 tubewells 11,50,000 tubewells

Electricity utility bankrupted by farm power subsidies

Electricity subsidy reduced to half

Aggregate groundwater withdrawals rising at ~15%/year

Aggregate groundwater withdrawals stabilized

Groundwater basket case of India The only Indian state where the groundwater regime is steadily improving

Agricultural economy stagnant Agriculture growing at 9.6% year during 2000-2008

Fluoride in groundwater a public health timebomb

Problem recognized and feasible solutions sought

North Gujarat around 2000: A Groundwater Basket Case

Figure 1 FRESH WATER AVAILABILITY IN GUJARAT

BY REGION

0500

10001500

20002500

S&C G

ujarat

North G

ujarat

Sau

rash

tra

Kac

hchh

Gujarat

REGION

PE

R C

AP

ITA

AV

AIL

AB

ILIT

Y

Fluoride in drinking water: Threat of a crippled generation

Groundwater depletion and

energy subsidies

Dental and skeletal fluorosis

Saline ingress

Dudhara village in Saurashtra Gadh village in Banaskantha

During 1986-88, Guru’s catalyzed a mass movement for groundwater recharge. 400,000 open wells were recharge-enabled, with support from NGOs, cement industry, Gujarati diamond merchants from Belgium.

In 1998, the government piled on the bandwagon and supported farmers to build more than 300,000 check dams, percolation ponds, and renovated countless water bodies.

December 1989 December 1999

In a normal monsoon, these helped to increase groundwater availability by about 1 BCM—3% of Gujarat’s water resources. But this 3% made all the

difference.

Farm power subsidies were undoing the benefits of recharge movement

• 2001: Electricity subsidy to tubewell owners US $ 750 million, 40% of the state’s budget;

• Increased groundwater only led to increased pumping and power subsidy

• Govt tried to cut losses by shutting off 3 phase power supply for 12 hours/day

• Farmers began using phase-splitting devices to run pumps on 2-phase power, ruining the power supply to non-farm rural consumers.

• The Chief Minister announced decision to meter tubewells and charge volumetric power tariff at subsidized rates for quality power.

• Hundreds of thousands of farmers descended on the capital to oppose the metering decision.

• A second-best solution that was politically feasible was adopted. Between 2003-2006, US $ 1250 million were invested in rewiring Gujarat’s countryside.

Figure 1 a Electricity Network Before Figure 1 b Electricity Network after

During 2003-2006, Govt. invested US $ 1250 million in separating 800,000 tubewells from other rural connections and imposed an 8 hour/day power ration

but of top quality and full voltage.

This: [a] halved the power subsidy; [b] stabilized groundwater draft; [c] improved power supply in rural economy, and [d] helped Gujarat achieve 9.6%

growth rate in agriculture during 2000-2009.

Mass-based recharge program and farm power reforms helped Gujarat to arrest secular decline in groundwater regime

Monsoonal changes in GW level: 2000

Monsoonal changes in GW level: 2008

Dental and Skeletal Fluorosis-a Public Health Time Bomb: Conventional solution: stop groundwater use in agriculture

Creative solutions being piloted are: [a] piped water supply from surface reservoirs;

[b] Government-assisted private RO plant operators to supply fluoride-free water at subsidized rates

[c] In remote tribal villages food fortification with calcium, magnasium and vitamin C.

Problem Best, ‘Proper’, total solution

Second-best, doable, deBono style, lateral solutions

Sustained depletion of aquifers

Manage groundwater demand by water and/or power pricing

Mass-based groundwater recharge; conjunctive management of GW & SW

Power industry bankrupted by farm subsidies

Meter tubewells and charge consumption-linked power tariff

[a] non-supply; [b] reduce supply; [b]Intelligent rationing of power supply

Fluoride as a public health timebomb

Bring the Groundwater regime back to pre-development level

[a] surface water supply [b] private providers of RO water [c] food fortification

IWRM thinking Successful problem-solving

Integrated Problem Solving Silo problem solving

Demand-side solutions Supply side solutions

Participatory process-intensive solutions

Silver bullet, push-button solutions

Integrate water agencies and management roles

Integrate water in to larger socio-economic management

Water as a problem Poverty as the over-arching problem

IWRM in Practice

Thank You