The status of ground water: Extraction exceeds recharge
Distilled Policy Brief
- Irrigation dominates groundwater use, accounting for 89% of extracted water and supplying about 61.6% of irrigation water, while domestic and industrial uses are 9% and 2% respectively.
- The Easement Act, 1882 grants landowners unrestricted extraction rights, and the lack of regulation combined with power subsidies and flat tariffs drives over‑extraction; recommendations include regulating electricity supply and separate feeders for agricultural pumping.
🎯 Prelims High-Yield Examination Points
Extraction > recharge; per‑capita groundwater availability declining sharply.
⚖️ Mains Analytical & Syllabus Linkages
Regulatory reforms needed – electricity pricing, legal ownership limits, and implementation of the National Water Policy to curb over‑extraction.
🎯 UPSC Prelims Practice Drill
Under the provisions of the Easement Act, 1882, a landowner in India has the right to:
- [A] Extract groundwater only after obtaining permission from the state water authority
- [B] Collect and dispose of all water under the land and on its surface without restriction
- [C] Extract groundwater solely for domestic consumption
- [D] No legal right to extract groundwater; extraction is prohibited
▶ Reveal Official Answer & Analytical Explanation
The Easement Act, 1882 grants every landowner the unrestricted right to collect and dispose of all water under the land and on the surface, allowing free extraction of groundwater. The other options contradict this provision.
🏛️ Historical Twin PYQ Anchor (2021)
Consider the following statements regarding the "National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)": 1. It is implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. 2. Central Pollution Control Board acts as the sole regulatory executive body.