1. Climate Change and
Groundwater
Governance in Gujarat,
India:
IWRM in Practice?
Tushaar Shah,
IWMI and GWP-TEC

2. A decade of IWRM watching
Gujarat 1990-2000 Gujarat 2000-2010
Groundwater supplying 70% of irrigated Groundwater supplying 70% of irrigated
area area
700,000 tubewells 11,50,000 tubewells
Electricity utility bankrupted by farm Electricity subsidy reduced to half
power subsidies
Aggregate groundwater withdrawals Aggregate groundwater withdrawals
rising at ~15%/year stabilized
Groundwater basket case of India The only Indian state where the
groundwater regime is steadily improving
Agricultural economy stagnant Agriculture growing at 9.6% year during
2000-2008
Fluoride in groundwater a public health Problem recognized and feasible
timebomb solutions sought

3. Figure 1 FRESH WATER AVAILABILITY IN GUJARAT
North Gujarat around 2000: BY REGION
A Groundwater Basket Case
AVAILABILITY
2500
PER CAPITA
2000
1500
1000
500
0
at
at
at
h
a
j ar
ch
htr
jar
jar
ch
Gu
Gu
Gu
as
Ka
ur
C
rth
Sa
S&
No
REGION

4. Fluoride in drinking water:
Threat of a crippled generation

5. Groundwater
depletion and
energy subsidies
Dental and
skeletal fluorosis
Saline ingress

6. During 1986-88, Guru’s catalyzed a mass movement for groundwater recharge.
400,000 open wells were recharge-enabled, with support from NGOs, cement
industry, Gujarati diamond merchants from Belgium.
In 1998, the government piled on the bandwagon and supported farmers to build
more than 300,000 check dams, percolation ponds, and renovated countless
water bodies.
Dudhara village in Saurashtra Gadh village in Banaskantha

7. In a normal monsoon, these helped to increase groundwater availability by
about 1 BCM—3% of Gujarat’s water resources. But this 3% made all the
difference.
December 1999
December 1989

8. Farm power subsidies were undoing
the benefits of recharge movement
• 2001: Electricity subsidy to tubewell owners US $ 750 million, 40% of
the state’s budget;
• Increased groundwater only led to increased pumping and power subsidy
• Govt tried to cut losses by shutting off 3 phase power supply for 12
hours/day
• Farmers began using phase-splitting devices to run pumps on 2-phase
power, ruining the power supply to non-farm rural consumers.
• The Chief Minister announced decision to meter tubewells and charge
volumetric power tariff at subsidized rates for quality power.
• Hundreds of thousands of farmers descended on the capital to oppose
the metering decision.
• A second-best solution that was politically feasible was adopted.
Between 2003-2006, US $ 1250 million were invested in rewiring
Gujarat’s countryside.

9. During 2003-2006, Govt. invested US $ 1250 million in separating 800,000
tubewells from other rural connections and imposed an 8 hour/day power ration
but of top quality and full voltage.
This: [a] halved the power subsidy; [b] stabilized groundwater draft; [c]
improved power supply in rural economy, and [d] helped Gujarat achieve 9.6%
growth rate in agriculture during 2000-2009.
Figure 1 a Electricity Network Before Figure 1 b Electricity Network after

10. Mass-based recharge program and farm power reforms helped
Gujarat to arrest secular decline in groundwater regime
Monsoonal changes in GW Monsoonal changes in GW
level: 2000 level: 2008

11. Dental and Skeletal Fluorosis-a Public Health Time Bomb:
Conventional solution: stop groundwater use in agriculture
Creative solutions being piloted are:
[a] piped water supply from surface reservoirs;
[b] Government-assisted private RO plant operators to supply fluoride-
free water at subsidized rates
[c] In remote tribal villages food fortification with calcium, magnasium
and vitamin C.

12. Problem Best, ‘Proper’, total Second-best, doable,
solution deBono style, lateral
solutions
Sustained depletion of Manage groundwater Mass-based groundwater
aquifers demand by water and/or recharge; conjunctive
power pricing management of GW & SW
Power industry Meter tubewells and [a] non-supply; [b] reduce
bankrupted by farm charge consumption-linked supply; [b]Intelligent
subsidies power tariff rationing of power supply
Fluoride as a public Bring the Groundwater [a] surface water supply
health timebomb regime back to pre- [b] private providers of
development level RO water
[c] food fortification

13. IWRM in Practice
IWRM thinking Successful problem-solving
Integrated Problem Solving Silo problem solving
Demand-side solutions Supply side solutions
Participatory process- Silver bullet, push-button
intensive solutions solutions
Integrate water agencies Integrate water in to
and management roles larger socio-economic
management
Water as a problem Poverty as the over-arching
problem
Thank You