Table 2 Synthesis of protocols and impacts of community-based groundwater management in
India and the main sets of challenges to sustain these impacts
Broad protocol of
groundwater management
Impact through key measures
of success
Hurdles or challenges in
sustaining the impact or
measure of success
Conservation and recharge
including managed aquifer
recharge
Ensuring optimum recharge
and protecting catchments
from degradation, which in
turns ensures both
groundwater level and
groundwater quality
maintenance in aquifers
Operation and maintenance of
conservation measures are not
sustained, encroachment and
land-use/land-cover changes
on natural and conserved
recharge areas; government
programmes also provide
farm-level conservation that
takes priority over community
level conservation and
recharge efforts
Measure of using and
managing sources through
efficient use of wells and
springs
Efficient extraction and
application of groundwater
leading to improved
productivity of sources
Competition cannot be
avoided in the absence of any
legislation; competition
includes community drinking
water wells versus individual
wells; competition leads
inefficient extraction rates that
affects the status of aquifers;
policy externality often brings
incentives and subsidy
through individual wells
Regulating withdrawal rates
of groundwater using energy
as an instrument of regulating
pumps
Sustained rates of pumping
leading to improved
efficiencies in pumping,
extraction and wells
Energy as an externality is a
key factor (Shah et al. 2012)
—individual connections on
wells often conflicts with
groundwater-based Water
User Groups; energy is often
used as a political instrument
where free and unlimited
power become instruments of
gaining votes before elections
Protection zones including
protecting drinking water
sources by controlling
source-to-source interference
and regulating the depth of
wells
Drinking water secured from
competitive extraction and
drilling
Schizophrenia of digging and
drilling—maximizing sources
—especially during a
drought; the disconnect
between land-rights and
groundwater leads to
multiplication of sources as
land ownership changes with
land division; droughts
leading to schizophrenia of
drilling; uncontrolled water
markets where groundwater
from farmland is transported
to towns, cities and industries
(continued)
Catalysing Groundwater Governance Through People’s …
11
India and the main sets of challenges to sustain these impacts
Broad protocol of
groundwater management
Impact through key measures
of success
Hurdles or challenges in
sustaining the impact or
measure of success
Conservation and recharge
including managed aquifer
recharge
Ensuring optimum recharge
and protecting catchments
from degradation, which in
turns ensures both
groundwater level and
groundwater quality
maintenance in aquifers
Operation and maintenance of
conservation measures are not
sustained, encroachment and
land-use/land-cover changes
on natural and conserved
recharge areas; government
programmes also provide
farm-level conservation that
takes priority over community
level conservation and
recharge efforts
Measure of using and
managing sources through
efficient use of wells and
springs
Efficient extraction and
application of groundwater
leading to improved
productivity of sources
Competition cannot be
avoided in the absence of any
legislation; competition
includes community drinking
water wells versus individual
wells; competition leads
inefficient extraction rates that
affects the status of aquifers;
policy externality often brings
incentives and subsidy
through individual wells
Regulating withdrawal rates
of groundwater using energy
as an instrument of regulating
pumps
Sustained rates of pumping
leading to improved
efficiencies in pumping,
extraction and wells
Energy as an externality is a
key factor (Shah et al. 2012)
—individual connections on
wells often conflicts with
groundwater-based Water
User Groups; energy is often
used as a political instrument
where free and unlimited
power become instruments of
gaining votes before elections
Protection zones including
protecting drinking water
sources by controlling
source-to-source interference
and regulating the depth of
wells
Drinking water secured from
competitive extraction and
drilling
Schizophrenia of digging and
drilling—maximizing sources
—especially during a
drought; the disconnect
between land-rights and
groundwater leads to
multiplication of sources as
land ownership changes with
land division; droughts
leading to schizophrenia of
drilling; uncontrolled water
markets where groundwater
from farmland is transported
to towns, cities and industries
(continued)
Catalysing Groundwater Governance Through People’s …
11