Groundwater resources in India: an arena for diverse competition

There is evidence of a looming groundwater crisis in India. Unlike in the case of surface water, competition around groundwater generally does not result in open conflicts. Measurability and visibility of surface water accord a clearer public perception of water quantities, which leads to conflicts. Groundwater in an aquifer is sourced in a dispersed manner, and boundaries, quantities and interdependencies are less visible or measurable. Hence, groundwater resources go through intense and intricate competition between users and uses before open conflicts begin. Competition occurs with reference to sources rather than around the resource. The interdependency of sources is a function of changing patterns of usage as intricacies of aquifer characteristics come into play. Governance institutions and regulatory frameworks of groundwater need to be sensitive to the various forms in which groundwater competition manifests in different hydrogeological settings, and the consequences of this in terms of access and rights, in relation to issues of equity and justice.