Can EU groundwater protection practices be used in India to improve access to water for drinking and irrigation? See our model here.

1. APSF ENVIRONMENT Number 1 | August 2010 | Page 1/4
An occasional Policy Analysis Brief published by EU-India Action Plan Support Facility, Environment Component, Technical Assistance
Groundwater Protection in India Depends on
the Policy-Practice Feedback Loop
Groundwater protection is key Distributed and surveyed management model of groundwater
to a sustainable future for India. protection
This study proposes a revised
Centre Aggregation and
groundwater management model assessment of
and a road map for adapting compliance with
Principles and principles and strategic
selected EU policies, strategies, instruments and political initiatives
and instruments for managing
State Surveillance of municipal/
groundwater to India’s needs.
Legislation panchayat enforcement
and reporting to the central
The model allows for decentralization level of enforcement and
feedback
while ensuring enforcement at all levels
according to common principles. Municipalities Surveillance of local
Decentralized reporting—aggregated from and panchayats implementation and
Information and reporting to the state level
level to level—ensures transparency in
enforcement of implementation and
implementation. Conveying feedback as feedback
a return stream in the model is essential,
as it allows for correction (fixing something Local
that is not working) and prevention
(introducing new initiatives to ensure future Implementation
function, including upstream measures). and feedback
The model also allows for a central General road map for instrument level development, improvement and
overview and transparency—of
demonstration
implementation, achievements, and
shortcomings — and the need for
Development of instrument in Testing of instrument on
additional initiatives at the policy
and strategy level. The suggested implementation-ready form representative pilot scale
model provides crucial feedback on
implementation and on lessons learned,
without undue filtering, to allow for policy Adjustment of instrument Publication and consultation
reformulation and for identifying adequate, after pilot testing with public and policy makers
high-impact upstream measures.
Additionally, it is recommended that the Adjustment of instrument Delivery of instrument to
government develops and implements implementing institution
after consultation
improved instruments supporting the
model that follows a general road map.
Funded by the European Union and managed by the EU Delegation to India, Implemented in collaboration with the Government of India by a consortium
65 Golf Links, New Delhi 110003; email delegation-india@ec.europa.eu led by Euroconsult Mott MacDonald
The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Commission.
Consider the environment: do not print this document if you can avoid it. An html version is available.

2. APSF ENVIRONMENT Page 2/4
An occasional Policy Analysis Brief published by EU-India Action Plan Support Facility, Environment Component, Technical Assistance
Instruments suggested for Instruments supporting the distributed management model suggested
improving groundwater for road map development and demonstration
management in India
Centre Distributed management
instrument
To deal with the groundwater challenges Monitoring and
dissemination
in India, the following instruments based instrument
on EU practice and experience may be
useful. State System control and self- Artificial recharge
monitoring instrument instrument
n A management model supporting the
coordination and integration of the Safeguard zone instrument
existing groundwater and pollution Economic incentives
boards at the Centre and states instrument
Municipalities
n Results of monitoring disseminated
and panchayats
and effectively used for identification of Co-management
need for actions instrument
n Potential of remote sensing/geographic
information system (GIS) tools fully Local
used
n Enforceable methods for planning and
Awareness
controlling credible self-monitoring by instruments
potentially polluting industries, based
upon the compliance point approach
Actions facilitating the
n Guidance for safeguard and well-head
improvement of groundwater
protection zones for drinking water
resources of villages, towns and cities management in India
to prevent pollution
n Economic incentives for reduction n Appoint a nodal agency to integrate all n Dedicate power feeder lines for
of groundwater abstraction and monitoring programmes into one cost- irrigation in states, as in Gujarat, to
promotion of low water consumption efficient programme introduce economic incentives to
crops n Universities, research institutions, and reduce groundwater abstraction
n Participatory, awareness and co- laboratories to operate parts of the n Increase staff strength of pollution
management tools for reduction of groundwater monitoring system under control boards and training in effective
groundwater abstraction and pollution public contract and control control of industrial discharge that
n Templates for public awareness n Strengthen surveillance and pollutes groundwater
campaigns in urban and semi-urban accountability of well registration and
areas permits It is further recommended that the EU–
n Feedback-based guidance for artificial n Support capacity building and India dialogue continues the exchange of
recharge to ensure the most feasible training for governmental and non- ideas and technology in water resources
practice governmental organizations management for mutual benefit.
n Enhance public awareness about
More detailed suggestions for the road groundwater as a resource used by
map are given in the full project document. one but affecting many
Funded by the European Union and managed by the EU Delegation to India, Implemented in collaboration with the Government of India by a consortium
65 Golf Links, New Delhi 110003; email delegation-india@ec.europa.eu led by Euroconsult Mott MacDonald
The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Commission.
Consider the environment: do not print this document if you can avoid it. An html version is available.

3. APSF ENVIRONMENT Page 3/4
An occasional Policy Analysis Brief published by EU-India Action Plan Support Facility, Environment Component, Technical Assistance
EU Groundwater Management India Groundwater Management
Status Status
EU has a long history of addressing India has a well-developed regulatory n Monitoring does not support
groundwater quantity and quality framework supported by strong planning and control in groundwater
challenges in the form of policies and institutions and qualified staff. Still, the management sufficiently
instruments protecting groundwater: magnitude of the challenges is great:
n Groundwater legislation is part of and n The exploitation of groundwater is There is evidence of a strong drive
influenced by general water legislation unsustainable and there is already a towards improving groundwater
n EU legislation prescribes decentralised noticeable reduction in the resource management in India, addressing issues
implementation on member state level, n Pollution is deteriorating groundwater in an integrated way. The concern for
which is monitored and controlled by quality the sustainability of urban areas and the
the EU n Groundwater resources are subject to subsistence of rural populations prompts
n Legislation on agricultural and geogenic constraints review of legislation and enforcement and
industrial production and technologies n Enforcement of legislation against land and water rights.
takes groundwater and its pollution pollution and over-extraction is weak
into account
n Safeguard/well head protection zones
Groundwater pollution maps of India
for delineating drinking water relating to Groundwater pollution maps of India
contamination are enforced stringently
n Effectiveness of policy instruments
on well registration, permits, and
economic incentives are monitored
n Comprehensive groundwater data
collection, storage and online retrieval
systems is practised
n Principles of recovery of costs, polluter
pays and self monitoring are widely
applied
Funded by the European Union and managed by the EU Delegation to India, Implemented in collaboration with the Government of India by a consortium
65 Golf Links, New Delhi 110003; email delegation-india@ec.europa.eu led by Euroconsult Mott MacDonald
The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Commission.
Consider the environment: do not print this document if you can avoid it. An html version is available.

4. APSF ENVIRONMENT Page 4/4
An occasional Policy Analysis Brief published by EU-India Action Plan Support Facility, Environment Component, Technical Assistance
Some Other Activities of the Relations between river basin, drinking water protected zone and safeguard zone
EU–India Action Plan Support
Facility
n Integrated Water Resource
Management Workshops held in
Kerala and Orissa. An action plan
for the Pamba river basin and a
replicable model for intra-state
river basin management will be
produced.
n Water and Environment
A
Expertise Database has being
created using learnings from the
EU.
n In-depth analysis conducted
and workshops held on e-waste
management and remediation of
contaminated sites.
n Training of trainers on international
legislation for chemicals
management conducted in
Hyderabad, Amritsar, and Kanpur.
Experts:
Dr S V N Rao, DHI India
Dr Christian Grøn, DHI Denmark
Dr Apurba Gupta, DHI India
For the full document, please consult
the project’s website
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
TA Office: APSF Environment
2/F, 46 National Park, Lajpat Nagar IV,
New Delhi 110024 INDIA
www.APSFenvironment.in
Deputy Team Leader: Johan Bentinck
johan@APSFenvironment.in
More information available on
www.APSFenvironment.in
Funded by the European Union and managed by the EU Delegation to India, Implemented in collaboration with the Government of India by a consortium
65 Golf Links, New Delhi 110003; email delegation-india@ec.europa.eu led by Euroconsult Mott MacDonald
The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Commission.
Consider the environment: do not print this document if you can avoid it. An html version is available.