STATUS OF GROUND WATER RESOURCES IN HARYANA & ITS DYNAMICS AND SPATIAL PATTERN

Abstract

Groundwater has emerged as a key resource input in India’s agriculture and food security in recent years. Over the past three decades it has become the main factor of growth in irrigated areas. At present tube wells accounts for over 60 percent irrigated area in the country. Currently, in Haryana about 85 percent of total cultivated area is irrigated. The rapid expansion of groundwater use has been a major factor contributing to the increase in net irrigated area. The present study covers various aspects of groundwater irrigation in Haryana ranging from availability to accessibility of groundwater. It shall examine the dynamics of groundwater availability and utilization as well as the twin problems, waterlogging and groundwater depletion. The study also examines of groundwater quality for agricultural usages in different regimes of groundwater availability. Further the study provides insight about inequality in groundwater access across the regime as well as land holding size of farmers. Lastly the study evaluates the structure and role of groundwater markets in accessibility of groundwater resources in different groundwater availability regimes.