Current Scenario, Impact and Extension Strategies for Managing Groundwater Depletion

Groundwater depletion has emerged as one of the major issues threatening various sectors across globe such as agriculture, livelihood and environment. Punjab, one of the leading agricultural state in India is considered as a groundwater overexploited area. This review paper examines the current scenario of groundwater use, sources of its depletion, impacts of groundwater depletion, and various management strategies. Major causes found responsible for groundwater depletion in Punjab includes rice-wheat monoculture system, increased use of tube wells assisted by electricity subsidy and varying rainfall pattern. Numerous impacts posed by groundwater depletion on agricultural productivity, socio-economic condition of farming community, environment and on day to day life are explored. Groundwater level management can be accomplished by executing technical strategies such as crop diversification by switching to less water intensive crops, adoption of water-saving technologies like Direct Seeded Rice (DSR), Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD), laser land levelling and utilization of digital technologies such as remote sensing and drones. Farmers can be influenced to follow these practices by means of extension strategies like farmer participatory approaches involving various stakeholders and farming community, engaging them in social learning games and providing training. Various government policies and schemes like Atal Bhujal Yojana and Punjab Integrated State Water Plan are aimed at sustainable groundwater management by focusing a coordinated approach involving policy, technology, institutions, and farmers is crucial. Implementation of an effective framework integrating farmers, stakeholders, technologies and policy makers is indispensable for achieving groundwater sustainability.