Groundwater Management: Sustainable Approaches

The opening article of the book "Groundwater Management: Need for Sustainable Approach" by Sudha Menon attempts to provide an overview of the concept and importance of Groundwater management. Sustainable Groundwater management plays a key role in combating water scarcity, livelihood security in view of the falling Groundwater tables and desertification. The article concludes giving policy recommendation for sustainable Groundwater management in India. The optimal allocation of Groundwater for all users is a difficult task for planners since property right over Groundwater cannot be well defined and water is a fundamental right of all living beings. "Democratic Decentralization in India and the Management of Groundwater – An Interstate Analysis: 1980-2000" by Hariprasad C G and Dipankar Sengupta is an attempt to understand the implications of democratic decentralization especially in the context of India in resolving the problem of overexploitation of groundwater. The paper explores the nature and causes of extraction, depletion as the rapid economic growth with rising population is putting strain on the available groundwater. The need for policy intervention in most states could be strengthened by acknowledging groundwater’s future value and decentralized Indian states are better at conserving groundwater than centralized states. "Groundwater Ethics for its Sustainability" by P S Datta explores some key issues on Groundwater ethics crucial for its protection. The planners and decision-makers have challenges to assess the inextricable logical linkages between water policies and ethical consideration. Management of this valuable resource is determined by its accessibility and ability in terms of quantity and quality. Management approaches are facing various ethical dilemmas due to imbalance between demand and availability.