Jahanvi Agarwal
On July 20, 2023, Indian states and union territories effectively implemented the Ground Water Act, according to the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti. For the purpose of improving sustainable water management, this Act contains an essential provision for rainwater gathering. Bishweshwar Tudu, Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti, replied to a question in the Lok Sabha by stating that the ministry has created a model bill to help all states and union territories implement acceptable groundwater legislation.
Following are the names of the states and UTs which have already implemented groundwater laws based on the Model Bill:
| Andhra Pradesh | Assam |
| Haryana | Himachal Pradesh |
| Maharashtra | Nagaland |
| Telangana | Uttar Pradesh |
| Lakshadweep | Daman & Diu, |
| Dadra and Nagar Haveli | Puducherry |
| Bihar | Goa |
| Karnataka | Kerela |
| Odisha | Punjab |
| West Bengal | Chandigarh |
| Jammu & Kashmir | Ladakh |
In places where Scheduled Caste (SC) populations constitute the majority, tap water has been made available to 60% of rural homes as part of the implementation of the Ground Water Act.
1,32,64,760 of the 2,18,06,280 rural households in SC-concentrated or dominated areas have access to tap water connections as of the present time.
In India, groundwater is used as the main source of irrigation, which is essential for maintaining agricultural practices. According to figures, tube wells, and other groundwater sources are used in around 70% of the nation’s agricultural production.
A comprehensive strategy for conservation is required because of the escalating groundwater issue brought on by the widespread use of groundwater in agriculture. India was noted as the greatest groundwater consumer worldwide in the UNESCO-published “World Water Development Report” in 2018.