Har Khet Ko Pani - “Water to Every Farm”

A program called Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) was developed with the aim of expanding irrigation accessibility with the slogan “har khet ko pani” and improving the efficiency of water use - “more crop per drop”. The national program aims to enhance the recharge of aquifers and analyze sustainable water solutions, such as purifying wastewater and seeking greater private investment in irrigation systems . It is supported by the Ministries of Agriculture, Water Resources, and Development. This program aims to give states the ability to develop their own irrigation plans based on district and state plans. This program includes the promotion of micro-irrigation, a method of irrigation that requires less water flow and can increase yields while decreasing the usage of water. Other conserving solutions include drip and sprinkler irrigation systems, which encourage farmers to limit water usage while still providing adequate water to their crops. This program oversees many states alongside the Ganges, which include Uttarakhand, Bihar, West Bengal, and Haryana (8). 

WWF-India’s Rivers for Life 

From 2007-2012, WWF-India implemented the Rivers for Life Programme and worked with over 2,000 farmers in 40 villages in Uttar Pradesh in the Ganga Basin. The farmers learned of proper soil-health testing and drought-tolerant planting, which would allow for more efficient use of irrigation systems to limit the over-extraction of groundwater (11). WWF-India is currently working to expand its groundwater management education to large-scale areas along the Ganges River Basin (12). 

The National Aquifer Mapping and Management Programme (NAQUIM) 

The National Aquifer Mapping and Management Programme (NAQUIM) was implemented as part of the Ground Water Management and Regulation Scheme to accurately map and depict aquifers to plan for groundwater management and enhancement. These characterizations and plans are shared with state governments by the State Ground Water Coordination Communities and include involvement from state and district leaders for specific plans based on terrain and geography. Public interaction programs (PIPs) are also being developed to promote the participation of farmers and local stakeholders within the communities with exploited groundwater. These states include Haryana, Assam, Bihar, and Uttarakhand (9). 

Agricultural and Electricity Shifts

A potential solution to groundwater exploitation includes the promotion of low-water intensive nutritious grains, such as nutri-cereals, in school systems for farmers to focus on these crops. This solution holds great potential, especially in the context of India’s problem of access to proper nutrition and the recent focus of nutri-cereals in the National Food Security Act (2013). In addition, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research developed a program to improve the production of rice and wheat in eastern India while using water resources sustainability. Also, electricity reforms, like terminating electricity subsidies, have the potential to significantly lower groundwater use in nearly a dozen overexploited groundwater states in India, such as West Bengal. However, there is not information to make a final say on the effects of electricity tariffs but officials emphasize it as a potential solution for policymakers to consider (13). 

India-EU Water Partnership

In 2017, the Working Group of the India-EU Water Partnership (IEWP) developed the IEWP Action Plan. There are nine priorities set forward by this action plan, which includes Ganga Rejuvenation. As part of this plan, an interactive dashboard with essential and relevant information on the river's water quality is in the works. The organization is also working alongside the World Bank’s Water Resources Group 2030 and the Netherlands to develop strategies pertaining to basin and groundwater management. The organization also plans to provide training on E-flows, river basin management, groundwater management, irrigation efficiency, water reuse, etc (10).

Underground Transfer of Floods for Irrigation (UFTI) 

The Groundwater Solutions Initiative for Policy and Practice (GRIPP) tested the Underground Transfer of Floods for Irrigation (UTFI) in the Indo-Gangetic Plain in India. This initiative works to use excess water from flooding to recharge aquifers, which store water for irrigation. The test in a specific Ganges plain in India was successful for a period of 3 years. The UTFI system has the potential to strongly benefit farmers by being a potential solution to cheaper alternatives for irrigation than groundwater extraction. In terms of future outlook, stakeholders are looking to expand this practice on a greater scale in the Ganges River basin and are focused on educating those around the areas on the benefits of this technology as a potential solution to excess groundwater extraction (14). UTFI outlook was formally recognized in the Rampur district, focusing on sites with the greatest groundwater exploitation (15).