Implication of intensive agriculture on groundwater utilization in Ganga-Ramganga interbasin, India

Abstract

Accurate understanding of a water resource system behavior in response to different stresses is highly essential for designing and implementation of any water resource management decisions. Under this scope, the current research was conducted in lower Ganga-Ramganga interbasin of Uttar Pradesh, India, to study the behavior of water level and the status of groundwater utilization. This study also highlighted the impact of intensive cultivation on groundwater extraction. Contour maps of water level depth were prepared for different seasons, ranging from 1990 to 2012 (23 years), and its trend was studied. The status of water resources in the study area was assessed by analyzing several components of water balance such as daily rainfall, seepage from irrigation water, canal seepage, seepage from tanks and ponds, groundwater use in different sectors (domestic, agriculture and industry) for 23 years. Groundwater inventory was studied in detail, along with varying cropping patterns and irrigation infrastructures. The results indicated that the stage of groundwater utilization in 92% of blocks had shifted from safe, semi-critical, and critical categories to overexploited categories. Over the analyzed period, about 51.47% of the study area had experienced more than 2 m of water level fluctuation. The subsidies on agricultural electricity and water-related infrastructures had caused 24.55% increase in the number of private tube wells, 52.69% increase in the pump set on bore wells, and 12.65% increase in water use during the study period. The study suggests that the groundwater status of the study area is in overexploited stage, and should be a matter of urgent attention; otherwise, it may lead to irreversible and permanent damage to the socio-economic status of a large portion of habitats of the region.