Preface

Maharashtra is one of the largest states of the country and playing a vital role in the India?s economy through its agricultural and industrial growth. Agriculture is the most predominant occupation in the state and is dependent mainly on ground water irrigation. However, specific focus is being given for the demand side intervention rather than supply side interventions for management of limited ground water resources that available in the state, as the 92% of the state is underlain by hard rocks bearing limited yield potential. The rainfall is the sole source of natural recharge to aquifers and the rainy season extends for three months with barely 55 to 60 rainy days. This is the period during which aquifers get replenished and during the remaining part of this water is utilized for agriculture, domestic and industrial uses. Highest rainfall is received in the coastal areas which have very high runoff rate, whereas remaining part of the state receives rainfall varying from <400mm to 1500 mm per year. A concept plan to recharge the aquifers has been prepared, and details of the artificial recharge structures suitable for the varying geological and topographical setups have been suggested. Besides, micro irrigation techniques are also suggested for water intensive crops to regulate the ground water draft.

The high reliability of rural and urban settlements on groundwater in India and the individualistic nature of groundwater usage make groundwater management and governance extremely challenging. Groundwater resources development in India, even today, has progressively become synonymous with increasing the accessibility of the resource through more and more sources and meeting the growing demand through the infrastructure of distribution. Management of groundwater becomes selflimiting when the focus is on exploration for new sources, without understanding resource behaviour. On the other hand, experience has shown that bringing aquifers to the centre stage of groundwater management is important. The concept of aquifers changes the way in which communities begin to perceive groundwater and becomes the first step in developing socioecological resilience to groundwater-related vulnerability. Building resilience to groundwater-related vulnerability further includes developing a governance mechanism that strikes a balance between supply management and demand regulation through an understanding of the resource, i.e., the aquifer.Aquifer systems in India are highly diverse and complex because of the variation in their inherent properties such as storativity, transmissivity and groundwater quality. Aquifer vulnerability is a consequence of not only how the rampant exploitation and contamination of groundwater occur, but also how different aquifers react to these fluxes. Moreover, irrespective of the scales of groundwater accumulation and movement, micro-level analysis of aquifers becomes imperative because of the atomistic nature of groundwater access and use. A systematic hydrogeology-based approach that requires delineating aquifers, understanding the dynamics of groundwater and mapping the demand and dependence of community on the resource holds the key to decentralized groundwater governance in India. Such an approach can be undertaken through participatory monitoring, decision support and action.The inherently heterogeneous nature of aquifers and communities in western and central India demand a strategic application of mapping, characterizing and managing local aquifers through a participatory groundwater management protocol. This nuanced approach beginning with aquifers as both a resource and a system, ensures equitable, efficient and hence, the sustainable management and governance of aquifers in this region.

The water sector in Maharashtra is facing critical challenges. First, uneven availability of water over space and time is the biggest challenge and secondly, dramatically increasing competing demands for water from different sectors are giving rise todisputes and conflicts. Of the total water used in the state, about 82% goes to irrigation, 12% for domestic water supplies, 4% forindustrial use, and the remaining for other uses such as livestock, hydro and thermal power generation. With the urban population of about 51 million (45%), and rapidly growing urban centres and industries, there is considerable gap in demand and supply of thestate's scarce water resources. This has posed serious challenges to water security. There can be only limited dependence upon the groundwater resources for the protective irrigation in the State as 85% area is Deccan basalt having limited ground water recharge potential. Also access to safe drinking and other domestics is a challenge in the rural areas of the State. Planning and Management of water resources in a coordinated and holistic manner is needed. Considering the scarcity of water in large part of Maharashtra and substantial utilisation by irrigation sector, there is a need to expedite measures for improving Water Use Efficiency (WUE) so that water saved in irrigation can be utilised for other non-irrigation purposes. The paper gives an overview of the water resources scenario in Maharashtra with reference to surface water and discusses various water management issues that need focused attention. The paper brings out the impact of decision of various water dispute tribunals on the water availability for the State and also the need for inter-basin and intra-basin water transfer. It emphasises the need for upscaling use of Micro Irrigation (MI), Pipe distribution system, large scale integrated MI systems throughout the State etc. for not only to save substantial amount of water but also to help in increase the productivity and quality of agriculture produce. The paper also touches upon the issues of water quality and flood management in the State.

Gujarat State is located in the western part of India, it is well known for entrepreneurship of its peoples. Water resources in the state are very much unevenly distributed. There are very high rainfall areas in the southern part of state, whereas the northern and western parts face desert like climate. Hydrogeologically there are diverse aquifer systems. Some form prolific aquifer system like alluvial formations of North and Central Gujarat plains. There are also hard rock formations like Granites, Deccan Basalts which form poor aquifers. Due to frequent and persistent droughts water resources management has been a challenge in northern and western parts of the state. Total annual availability of water in the state is estimated at 51 BCM/ out of which surface water contribution is 38 BCM, whereas groundwater accounts for 13.58 BCM. The groundwater plays a very important role in agriculture as well as water supply in this drought prone state. The total annual Groundwater Recharge has been assessed as 22.37bcm and Annual Extractable Ground Water Resources as 21.25bcm. The Annual Ground Water extraction has been assessed as 13.58bcm and Stage of Ground Water extraction as 64%. There are 248 assessment units (talukas) out of which 25 Talukas have been categorized as ?Over- exploited?, 5 are ?Critical?, 11 are ?Semi-Critical?,194 as ?Safe? and 13 saline talukas in the state. A well-planned strategy is required for management of water resources in the state. Number of water conservation and augmentation measures have been taken up in the state in the form of Sujalam Suflam Yojna, Sauni Yojna, Participatory irrigation management, ATAL-JAL, Hydrology Project, Interlinking of Rivers to name a few. Further steps suggested for conservation and sustainable use of ground water can be augmentation of groundwater resources through Artificial Recharge, revival of ponds, reuse and recycling of wastewater, protection of water sources from pollution, conjunctive use of surface and ground water, etc

Among the challenges faced by the world today in the area of health care, water is the greatest challenge, and this is particularly true for the developing countries. A large proportion of the world?s population relies on ground water as primary source for drinking and domestic use. In recent years, due to increase of population, urbanization, industrialization, use of chemical fertilizers, pesticide in agriculture, there is over increasing threat to surface and ground water quality. The indiscriminate use of ground water for irrigation and other purposes has resulted in sharp decline in ground water table and in changes in the natural geochemistry of ground water. In the largest areal state of the country i.e. Rajasthan higher concentration of all the three hydrochemical parameters viz. salinity, nitrate and fluoride in ground waters have adversely affected the lives of people in general and their socio-economic status in particular. Ground water of western, north-eastern parts of Rajasthan are facing problem of salinity, nitrate and fluoride, whereas central and southern parts are generally facing an acute problem of fluoride. Therefore, immediate action for mitigating the problems at government, semi-government or social levels are required for the welfare of countrymen.