The agriculture sector is dependent on ground water extracted by farmers using tube wells. 89 percent ground water use is for agriculture. The agriculture dependent on surface water is less. It is very difficult to recharge ground water at every place, where as ground water got stored blow ground in centuries. As the water for agriculture is extracted in large quantities through tube wells, the water level in open wells and in tube wells bored for drinking water is lowering at a very fast rates. There are dark zones in most of the districts of India. What will happen when 95 percent ground water in an aquifer will be extracted for agriculture. The situation has further deteriorated as the natural drainage channel areas are being used for domestic and commercial buildings and development works, preventing free flow of water to the downstream areas. mining activities are also causing large scale wastage of precious water and lowering water table. The farmers may be allowed to grow less water consuming crops, but not the rice and sugar cane etc. it is high time that Modi Govt may bring a legislation for stoppage of extracting ground water for agriculture and disallowing sowing of high water consuming crops.
Published by Yogesh Agrawal, Director (retired), Minor irrigation schemes, Water Resources Department at Govt of Rajasthan
The agriculture sector is dependent on ground water extracted by farmers using tube wells. 89 percent ground water use is for agriculture. The agriculture dependent on surface water is less. It is very difficult to recharge ground water at every place, where as ground water got stored blow ground in centuries. As the water for agriculture is extracted in large quantities through tube wells, the water level in open wells and in tube wells bored for drinking water is lowering at a very fast rates. There are dark zones in most of the districts of India. What will happen when 95 percent ground water in an aquifer will be extracted for agriculture. The situation has further deteriorated as the natural drainage channel areas are being used for domestic and commercial buildings and development works, preventing free flow of water to the downstream areas. mining activities are also causing large scale wastage of precious water and lowering water table. The farmers may be allowed to grow less water consuming crops, but not the rice and sugar cane etc. it is high time that Modi Govt may bring a legislation for stoppage of extracting ground water for agriculture and disallowing sowing of high water consuming crops.