This book highlights the multi-pronged strategy for achieving sustainable rural domestic water supply in India. It deepens the understanding of groundwater (predominant source of water supply) behaviour in response to natural processes in different geological settings, analyses the factors influencing the performance of water supply schemes; identifies the conditions under which groundwater-based drinking water sources become sustainable, suggests measures for improving the sustainability of drinking water wells in hard rock regions (cover 2/3rd of India's geographical area), presents a decision-making framework for planning rural water supply schemes in the country for ensuring long-term sustainability, and suggests physical strategies and policy measures for achieving them. The analyses for development and validation of various models that explain groundwater system behaviour and performance of rural water supply schemes are undertaken for different geological settings in Maharashtra, as the state represents a microcosm of the various hydrological, topographical, and geohydrological conditions encountered in the country. The final analysis for proposing nation-wide strategies considers the various hydrological, geological, geohydrological, and topographical and climatic settings in the country.

Autorentext

M. Dinesh Kumar completed his B-Tech in Civil Engineering, M.E. in Water Resources Management, and Ph.D. in Water Management. He has 30 years of professional experience in the field of water resources. He is the executive director of Institute for Resource Analysis and Policy, a water policy think-tank which he established in 2008. His research works of global relevance are: IWRM in river basins; agriculture water productivity; global virtual water trade; integrated urban water management; methodology for assessing global water and food security challenges; climate risk in WASH; and socio-economic impacts of large water systems.

Nitin Bassi holds an M. Phil in Natural Resource Management, having 15 years of experience undertaking research, consultancy and s in the field of water resource. Presently, he works as a principal researcher with the Institute for Resource Analysis and Policy. His areas of work include: River basin water accounting, agriculture water management, institutional and policy analysis in irrigation and water supply management, water quality analysis, climate variability and climate induced water risk analysis, and wetland management. He has been engaged as a specialist in projects, research studies, and assignments supported by various national and international organizations.

Saurabh Kumar is Ph.D. in Forestry (Wetland Ecology) from the Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, India. He has eight years of experience in the field of forest and wetland ecology. His research interest includes groundwater analysis, soil and water quality assessment, biodiversity assessment, and RS&GIS. He has worked extensively in swamp forests and wetlands of Western Himalayas. At present, he is a researcher at the Institute for Resource Analysis and Policy, Hyderabad, and engaged in an action research project financially supported by the European Commission and Department of Bio-technology, Government of India.

Inhalt

Chapter 1: Rural Domestic Water Supply in India: Progress and Issues

Abstract

1.1 Introduction

1.2 Progress made by Indian States and Union Territories

1.3 Threats to Sustainability of Rural Domestic Water Supply

1.3.1 Technical sustainability of groundwater-based schemes

1.3.2 Financial sustainability of the schemes

1.3.3 Inequity in access to water

1.5 Objectives and Scope of the book

1.6 Contents of the Book and Chapter outline

References

Chapter 2: Factors Influencing Groundwater Behaviour During Monsoon: Analysis from Maharashtra

Abstract

2.1 Introduction

2.2 Rainfall: Seasonality and other Features

2.3 Impact of Hydrological and Geohydrological Factors on Groundwater Behaviour

2.3.1 Rainfall and Water Level Fluctuation during Monsoon

2.3.2 Rainfall, Depth to Water Levels and Water Level Fluctuation

2.4 The Model Explaining Groundwater Behaviour during Monsoon

2.5 Findings

References

Chapter 3: Factors Influencing the Performance of Rural Water Supply Schemes: Analysis from Maharashtra

Abstract

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Scheme Failure and Tanker water supply in Rural Areas

3.3 Influence of Irrigation Water Demand on Sustainability of Schemes: Theoretical Perspective

3.4 Impact of Gravity irrigation on Rural Water Supply Schemes: Theory and Empirical Evidence 3.5 The Model Explaining the Varying Performance of Rural Water Supply Schemes

3.6 Factors Determining the Success of Groundwater-Based Schemes

3.7 Findings and Conclusions

References

Chapter 4: Studying the Performance Review of the Rural Water Supply Schemes in Different Geological Settings

Abstract

4.1 Background

4.2 Selection of Water Supply Schemes

4.3 Scheme Characteristics and Respondents Details

4.4 Scheme Performance

4.4.1 Water Supply and Use 4.4.2 Access to Water Supply

4.4.3 Frequency of Water Supply

4.4.4 Maintenance of Water Supply Scheme and Water Tax Recovery

4.5 Water Supply Improvement

4.6 Findings and Conclusions

References

Chapter 5: Locating Water for Augmenting Rural Water Supply Schemes

Abstract

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Description of Selected Basins

5.3 Surface Water Availability in Selected River Basins

5.3.1 Water Utilisation by Minor Irrigation Schemes

5.3.2 Water Utilisation by Medium and Major Irrigation Schemes

5.3.3 Un-utilised Water Resource in the Basins

5.4 Scope for Augmenting the Rural Water Supply

5.5 Conclusion

References

Chapter 6: Strategy for Improving Rural Domestic Water Supply:

Abstract

6.1 Current Discourse for Water Supply Augmentation

6.2 Suggested Technical-institutional Interventions for Improving Water Supply Scheme Sustainability

6.2.1 The Proposal 6.2.2 Engineering Feasibility of Bulk Transfer of Water

6.2.3 Unit Cost of the Interventions

6.3 Scale of Investment Required for Improving Rural Water Supply

6.4 Conclusion

References

Chapter 7: Towards Rural Drinking Water Security in India

Abstract

7.1 Introduction

7.2 A Decision-Making Framework for Planning Rural Water Supply

7.3 Strategies for Improving the Performance of Rural Water Supply Schemes

7.4 Implementing the Proposed Strategy

7.5 Policy Implications

References