The World Bank report titled “Deep Wells and Prudence: Towards Pragmatic Action for Addressing Groundwater Overexploitation in India”, includes an analysis of the potential of community groundwater management in India and mentions that “State-level engagement is still required to support and nurture a community-based approach”. It further states that “State agencies should create an enabling environment, ensuring that community-based initiative receive the support they need to build capacity, take on the lessons of experience, and improve institutional coordination at the local level”.

National Water Policy, 2002 envisages that “Management of the water resources for diverse uses should incorporate a participatory approach, by involving not only various governmental agencies but also the users and other stakeholders such as water users’ associations, municipalities and gram panchayats, in an effective and decisive manner in various aspects of planning, design, development and management of the water resources schemes.

In order to  preserve water resources and their proper utilization as well as checking of the depletion in the ground water level,  the Government of India has initiated several augmentation and regulatory measures which, inter-alia, include:      (a) launching of schemes for  “repair, renovation and restoration of water bodies”, “artificial recharge of ground water through dugwells”, “demonstrative projects for artificial recharge to ground water aimed at creating awareness about water conservation practices during the year 2007-2010 and         (b) circulation of a draft Model Bill to all the States / Union Territories to facilitate regulation and control the development and management of ground water, issuing of directions by Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) to States having ‘over-exploited’ areas for taking necessary measures to adopt / promote artificial recharge to ground water/rain water harvesting, conservation of ground water and to also include provision for making construction of roof top rain water harvesting structures mandatory under the building bye-laws.  Directions also issued to Residential Group Housing Societies /  Institutions / Schools / Hotels / Industrial Establishments for adoption of Roof Top Rain Water harvesting systems in their premises latest by May, 2010. The Central Ground Water Authority has ‘notified’ 43 areas in 10 States / UTsfor regulation of ground water development.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Water Resources, Shri Vincent H. Pala in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha