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Groundwater is the most vital and most utilized freshwater resource on the earth. The increasing demand of freshwater for agriculture, industries, domestic and drinking purposes has resulted in groundwater exploitation worldwide. India is the world’s largest groundwater user. Groundwater extraction in India has occurred in a largely unplanned and uncontrolled manner. The country is witnessing sharp declines in groundwater levels and groundwater quality. These issues are well recognized by the Indian Government and several actions are being taken to arrest its groundwater issues but despite of that the condition of the ground water resources is not improving in fact it is worsening each year. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the India’s government response to its groundwater crisis based on information from a set of publically available data, policy papers, published reports and literature. The research has covered legislative, social, economic, institutional and environment aspects to analysis the response of government of India. Innovative strategies and frameworks to groundwater management have emerged in many parts of the world. This study describes and analyse the existing approaches promulgated by different countries and measures taken to address their groundwater challenge. The research has introduced eleven case studies from the five climatic regions across the globe and offer key learnings for India. The study provides insights into the findings regarding the gaps and key improvement areas for India. The findings of this study can help the decision makers and management authorities to take effective decisions and bring changes in their current approach towards achieving groundwater security and sustainability.
Keywords: groundwater governance, groundwater management, groundwater law, sustainability.
