Agricultural groundwater resource management in India: How sustainable development of groundwater resources through policy action can reverse the trend of groundwater depletion

The purpose of this study is to facilitate a deeper understanding of issues surrounding agricultural groundwater management in India. The issues examined in this paper pertain principally to the current sustainability of groundwater management policy and practices in the country. Further, this study examines the effects these factors have had on groundwater in the region.;The approach taken in the examination of this topic was through an in depth analysis of certain key policies and practices that have effected groundwater use in the agricultural sector. This is accomplished using an empirical policy evaluation technique.1;The study demonstrates that the policies examined have been almost uniformly designed to maximize development potential and profit without regard for environmental sustainability and long-term groundwater security. Further, this study examines alternative approaches to groundwater management that promote economic growth, while providing positive social and environmental outcomes for the farmers who work in those regions.;1Pal, (2006).