Groundwater Governance in India: A Legal and Institutional Perspective

Abstract

Availability of and accessibility to groundwater have played a considerable role in India’s development, especially in the agriculture sector. Although the groundwater boom has provided numerous advantages, it has also created a slew of intractable problems in terms of overexploitation and resource depletion, leading to the emergence of a groundwater crisis. Although there exists a policy structure to address these concerns, India’s legal framework for groundwater governance and management is complex and multi-layered, with constitutional and statutory provisions of both the Central and state governments. The present article aims to explore the nuances of groundwater governance in India from legal and institutional perspectives in an integrated manner. It examines the constitutional and right-based aspects of groundwater management as well as the evolution of associated groundwater policy measures undertaken so far.