WATER MANAGEMENT AND GOVERNANCE IN JAMMU AND HOSHIARPUR DISTRICTS

The book is having immense information about ground water policies and governance in India with special reference to States of Punjab and Jammu &Kashmir. It is useful to the Researchers and Academicians seeking knowledge in Water Management. The book focuses on the issue of over utilization of ground water in state of Punjab while Jammu using small proportion of their ground water potentials. If present trend in groundwater utilization in Punjab continues, demands for water would need more supplies and such situation will be detrimental to development and can cause social upheaval and disruptions. What really needs to be addressed is the demand-supply imbalance at the local level, which has already acquired serious proportion in north Indian states, as manifested by declining water tables. The increased use of and access to groundwater is often considered as instrumental behind spread of new agricultural technology in Punjab. The pattern of development of groundwater in selected states has created a number of sustainability, equity and efficiency concerns.

There is a broad consensus on the need to improve water management and have governance policies detrimental to the growth and development of these regions. Government should ensure that groundwater levels should not fall below replenish able level and accordingly take necessary measures for regulation/restriction of groundwater uses in area. Enforcement for regulation/reduction/restriction in groundwater usage should be made effective by State Government through users’ group/community participation/ involvement of Panchayat. Users group should be responsible for regulating groundwater usage among various sectors i.e. irrigation, drinking and industrial. Such regulations by user group will be made effective on advice of State Ground Water Board (SGWB). CGWB along with SGWB should assist State Government in controlling over exploitation through negative and positive incentives such as restricting institutional loans, limiting electricity supply, strengthening oversight of community specially that by user group. Positive incentives can be supported for rainwater harvesting and watershed development. Also CGWB and SGWB should prepare suitable guidelines for aquifer water management based planning for use of groundwater. Efforts should be made to merge schemes for watershed development, rainwater harvesting etc. along with involvement of panchayat in critical and semi-critical areas.