Introduction

As per the assessment of the dynamic ground water resource in Gujarat the utilsable ground water resources have been assessed as 24905 MCM, after providing for natural discharge (March 2021). The annual ground water draft is 13296 MCM. The Stage of ground water development works out to be about 53%. However, this is not uniform across the state. The stage of development is exceedingly high in North Gujarat and Kachchh regions. Highly intensive development of ground water in these areas has resulted in over - exploitation leading to the decline of ground water levels, deterioration in the ground water quality and sea water intrusion in the coastal areas. The paper presents existing scenario of various supply and demand side interventions implemented in the state with their impact. Recommendations for various interventions necessary for sustainable ground water management have been made with particular emphasis on use of scientific inputs from the supply as well as demand side interventions to the community participation in planning, implementing and monitoring.

Gujarat Alluvial plains are well known for prolific aquifer system but due to overexploitation of groundwater in North Gujarat districts, the ground water levels have shown a declining trend, which entails higher water lifting cost in addition to the increasing investment in deepening of wells. As natural recharge of groundwater is not commensurate with groundwater extraction, the groundwater levels have dipped more than 190 m below ground level at some places of North Gujarat. In such areas, it is felt that artificial recharge of groundwater has much scope in water conservation and augmentation. Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) has given a new dimension to the groundwater sustainability in North Gujarat through harvesting of the surplus runoff and storing the same in the sub-surface reservoir adopting artificial recharge techniques.The present paper deals with the various activities undertaken by the Central and State Governments to arrest the groundwater level from further decline and also maintain the quality of groundwater. Based on the Pilot studies in the UNDP assisted project during the years 1980-85 in the Gujarat State, CGWB has advocated for artificial recharge of groundwater by spreading channel and injection methods to counteract the impact of overexploitation in the North Gujarat. In the Central Sector Scheme (CSS) of Ministry of Water Resources (now Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation), Government of India, demonstrative artificial recharge structures have been constructed by the State Government in the Saraswati river bed at Madhu Pavdi check Dam in Sidhpur, Patan district, Due to non availability of surplus water in the North Gujarat Region, Government of Gujarat launched an ambitious inter basin water transfer program known as Sujalam Sufalam Yojana. In this Sujlam Suphalam Yojana one major unlined recharge canal named as Sujlam Suphalam spreding canal has been constructed with a length of 332 km from Mahi to Banas River which diverts of surplus flood waters of Kadana Reservoir and the Narmada to the water deficit areas. In the Lift Irrigation scheme, nine reservoirs of North Gujarat region are planned to be filled by laying pipelines utilising surplus flood water of Narmada.

In general, Chhattisgarh state is underlain by hard rocks with limited groundwater potentials. But decline of rainfall in most parts of the state is limiting surface water resources too. Agriculture is mostly rainfed, paddy being the main crop in the state. Groundwater is the main source of irrigation and a major source of drinking water. Cavernous limestones/dolomites form the most potential aquifers yielding up to 50 lps as in Bastar, Baloda Bazar and Bilaspur districts. Proposal for construction of energized irrigation dug/bore wells under PMKSY-HKKP-GW scheme in 109 blocks (stage of extraction within 60%) of 7 aspirational districts will enhance ground water irrigation of 7467 ha land. The stage of extraction has already escalated from 5.11% (1990) to 44.43% (2017) which will be escalated further with ongoing and future development programs. The State should undertake conservation of groundwater through regulation, protection and augmentation of the water resources by implementing rainwater harvesting and artificial recharge, along with adoption of rainfed agriculture, drip or sprinkler irrigation, pricing policy for commercial ground water extraction, exploration and planned development of yet unknown aquifers through exploratory drilling aided by remote sensing, geophysics . Based on declining groundwater level trends areas totalling 16,410 sq. km have been demarcated for rainwater harvesting and artificial recharge creating sub-surface ground water storage potential of 1030.11 MCM and an additional irrigation potential of 148430 ha. Further, groundwater pollution from geogenic and anthropogenic sources like high fluoride, arsenic, uranium, sulphate, nitrate as in Rajnandgaon, Durg, Bilaspur, Raipur and Kwardha districts is also a potential threat to the utilisable resources.This paper attempts at a holistic overview of sustainable development and management of ground water resources of the state considering the huge hydrogeological, geophysical and chemical database in the state.

In western India, the states Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan having area of 0.11%, 5.97%, 9.36% and 10.41% of India respectively have 0.24%, 6.83%, 13.48% and 4.52% of the total population of the country. The area, except Goa which records high precipitation, receives moderate rainfall. Arid conditions prevail in north Gujarat and major part of Rajasthan. The utilization pattern of ground water is uneven across the region resulting in ground water stressed conditions and over exploitation in some parts, particularly the arid regions and sub-optimal ground water utilization in others. Water level varies widely being very shallow in the southern part and deep to alarmingly deep in the northern part, having deepest water level of the country in Bikaner district of Rajasthan. Water quality is of concern in the major parts. In considerable areas, some chemical constituents exceed the permissible limit for drinking water, and large patches with brackish to saline water are encountered in Rajasthan and Gujarat. Sporadic occurrences of Fluoride and Nitrate in ground water exceeding the permissible limit for drinking water are spread almost throughout the region which necessitates cautious use of ground water in these areas for drinking purposes. The stage of ground water development is 37%, 68% and 54% in Goa, Gujarat and Maharashtra respectively. In Rajasthan, the stage of ground water development is 140% and 164 out of 248 ground water assessment units are overexploited and 23 ground water assessment units in Gujarat are over exploited. This requires immediate judicious intervention without which some areas will not be able to meet even the drinking water needs. Groundwater withdrawal requires to be strictly regulated so that it does not exceed the annual recharge and also that it does not disturb the hydro-chemical balance. Alarming declines in groundwater levels warrant immediate attention for taking-up of recharge schemes to arrest further decline and augment the groundwater resources. In areas of scanty recharge, ground water should be allowed only for drinking water purposes. In other areas, along with water conservation and ground water augmentation measures, demand side management using micro irrigation techniques and change of cropping pattern etc should be religiously adopted.