Q. Consider the following statements:
1.India extracts more groundwater than China and the US combined.
2.About 70% of India’s water usage comes from groundwater.
3.According to the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) Act, groundwater is considered to be a private resource.
4.There is no single law that governs groundwater management at the national level.
How many of the above statements are correct?
Explanation –
Statements 1, 2 and 4 are correct. India extracts more groundwater than China and the US combined. India is the world’s largest user of groundwater, accounting for one-fourth of global groundwater extraction. About 70% of India’s water usage comes from groundwater.
There is no single law that governs groundwater management at the national level in India.
The legal and regulatory frameworks for groundwater in India are based on a number of different laws, including the Indian Easements Act, 1882, the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, and the Model Groundwater Bill, 2017.
However, these laws are not comprehensive and do not provide a unified framework for groundwater management.
This lack of a single national law on groundwater management has made it difficult to develop and implement effective groundwater management policies. It has also made it difficult to enforce groundwater regulations.
Further, the Constitution of India does not explicitly mention groundwater, but it does guarantee the right to water as a fundamental right.
Statement 3 is incorrect. According to the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) Act, groundwater is considered to be a public resource. This means that the CGWA has the authority to regulate and control the use and development of groundwater in India.
Source: ForumIAS
