Depletion of Ground Water, a Serious Treat to Environment in India : Challenges and Solutions

Water is the most valuable gift of nature. With two thirds of the earth's surface covered by water and the human body consists two third of it, it is evidently clear that water is one of the prime elements responsible for life on earth. Water circulates through the land just as it does through the human body, transporting, dissolving, and replenishing nutrients and organic matter, while carrying away waste material. It is equally essential for the survival of animal and plant. Ground water is one of the main and easy source of water in almost all part of the India. Since last two decades, fast depletion of ground water is taking place in several states of India particularly in Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and several other states due to excessive extraction for agricultural purpose and meeting need of public in fast urbanization without making adequate measure of its replenishment. Contraindications of this depletion is extraction from deeper within the earth, which is resulting into contamination of water. Today, ground water has contaminated with dangerous carcinogenic elements like arsenic, fluoride, nitrate and iron in several states making it unsafe to drink and use. Fast rate of depletion and contamination of ground water is also posing serious threats to the animals and plants. The main objectives of this paper are (i) to discuss that despite having several legislations and institutions like CWC, CGWB, CGWA, CPCB etc. in India, no adequate steps has been taken to prevent the fast depletion of ground water and (ii) to suggest the effective water conservation to replenishment of ground water. This research paper is mainly relied on various Governmental and non-governmental records of statistical data and employed doctrinal method of research and uniform method of citation