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How Groundwater Restrictions Are Impacting Farmers in Yavatmal and Buldhana

How Groundwater Restrictions Are Impacting Farmers in Yavatmal and Buldhana
How Groundwater Restrictions Are Impacting Farmers in Yavatmal and Buldhana

The farmlands of Vidarbha's Yavatmal and Buldhana have long depended on water drawn from beneath the soil.


Across these districts in Maharashtra, groundwater has supported cotton, soybean, and sugarcane fields where rainfall remains uncertain and surface water supplies are unreliable.


The tightening of groundwater regulations over the years has reshaped how farmers approach their most critical resource.


The National Green Tribunal (NGT) introduced these restrictions to curb over-extraction and contamination. The result has been a landscape where access to water is no longer a given but a regulated process bound by permissions, assessments, and legal boundaries.



How Tribunal Orders Reshaped Groundwater Access


Groundwater in India sustains much of the country's agricultural output, with around 90 percent of extracted reserves going into farming.


In Maharashtra, several districts, including Yavatmal and Buldhana, fall within regions where underground reserves face significant pressure. Overuse and contamination, particularly from fluoride and nitrate, have made groundwater both essential and hazardous.


The NGT issued an order in 2014 prohibiting unauthorised groundwater extraction in twelve districts of Maharashtra.

The tribunal flagged high fluoride levels, identifying groundwater contamination as a major health risk. Alongside this, nitrate contamination, caused largely by the misuse of chemical fertilisers and improper waste disposal, added another layer of concern.



Under these orders, groundwater withdrawal requires an environmental impact assessment to ensure aquifers are not depleted beyond their natural recharge capacity.


The directives also call for sealing unauthorised borewells and penalising offenders. The enforcement of these measures across different states has shown varied outcomes, but in Yavatmal and Buldhana, these rules have become central to how farming decisions are made.


Farmers seeking to use groundwater must now secure a No Objection Certificate from the Central Groundwater Authority.

This approval process includes a detailed assessment of the aquifer’s status, adding administrative steps that many smallholder farmers find difficult to navigate.


Restricted Water, Reduced Choices

Illegal Borewells in Vidarbha
Illegal Borewells in Vidarbha

Agriculture in Yavatmal and Buldhana depends heavily on groundwater, especially in the absence of reliable surface water infrastructure. Rainfall in these districts remains uneven, and drought conditions have been part of their history for decades.


In such an environment, borewells became the mainstay of irrigation, offering a dependable source even when rainfall failed.


The NGT’s regulations, however, limit this dependence. Illegal borewells have been sealed in several regions, cutting down the number of operational wells.

Farmers who once relied on quick access to underground water now face delays and additional costs in securing legal permission for borewell use.


This restricted access has directly affected irrigation patterns. Without the capacity to water their fields adequately, many farmers have been forced to reduce the area under cultivation or shift toward crops that require less water.


Studies on groundwater depletion across India have indicated that cropping intensity falls where access to irrigation is curbed, with cotton and sugarcane showing greater vulnerability due to their water demands.



Groundwater contamination complicates the situation further. Nitrate levels, often rising from overuse of nitrogen-based fertilisers, damage soil health and crop quality.

Fluoride contamination, noted as a primary concern in the NGT’s 2014 directive, continues to affect the suitability of groundwater for both irrigation and drinking purposes. These quality issues reduce the viability of groundwater as a resource, even in areas where permissions are granted.


Economic Strain on Smallholder Farmers


The impact of groundwater regulation has been particularly sharp for small and marginal farmers. The costs involved in obtaining permits, drilling deeper wells, or shifting to approved water sources are often out of reach for those with limited resources.


Compliance with the regulatory framework requires money, time, and familiarity with bureaucratic procedures, placing smallholders at a disadvantage.


The Maharashtra Groundwater (Development and Management) Act of 2009, designed to regulate groundwater extraction, supports the broader goals of the NGT’s directives.

While the Act intends to promote sustainable use, its uneven implementation in rural districts has added to the complexity of the situation. In places where monitoring remains weak, farmers continue to face uncertainty over whether existing wells will remain operational or face closure.



Reduced access to irrigation has affected productivity. Water shortages during crucial stages of crop growth often lead to lower yields, cutting into incomes in a region already marked by economic hardship. While large-scale farmers may have the means to explore alternatives like farm ponds or surface water schemes, smallholders frequently find themselves with fewer choices.


The contamination of existing groundwater supplies further limits these options. With nitrate and fluoride levels making borewell water unsuitable, farmers are often forced to depend on surface water from rivers, tanks, or canals.

Yet, these sources are not consistently available, especially during dry spells, leading to uncertainty around water access year after year.



Changing the Way Fields Are Watered

Changing the Way Fields Are Watered in Vidarbha
Changing the Way Fields Are Watered in Vidarbha

The regulatory push has encouraged efforts toward rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge in an attempt to ease dependence on borewells.


Projects like Sukhi Baliraja, supported by Tata Trusts, have worked to build infrastructure such as farm ponds and recharge pits aimed at stabilising groundwater levels. These efforts reflect the need to shift irrigation strategies toward more sustainable methods.


However, the scale of adoption of such projects remains limited. Infrastructure gaps and a lack of awareness among farmers have slowed the transition.


While these initiatives show potential in theory, many farms across Yavatmal and Buldhana continue to rely on borewells, with regulations dictating whether these can remain operational.



The NGT’s restrictions have significantly influenced cropping patterns. Farmers in affected districts have begun moving away from high-water-demand crops, exploring varieties that require less irrigation.

This shift alters not only what is grown but also the broader economic profile of agriculture in these areas. The reduction in cotton and sugarcane cultivation, for example, carries implications for local economies tied to these crops.


The financial strain of adapting to these new conditions remains a defining feature of farming in the region. Without consistent groundwater access, farmers are left dependent on monsoon rains, which have long been unreliable.


The push for recharge-based solutions offers one route forward, but the road to widespread adoption continues to face structural barriers.


The tightening of groundwater use across Yavatmal and Buldhana has not only changed how farmers access water but has also reshaped their day-to-day decisions on planting, harvesting, and investing in their land.

These rules, enforced to protect one of the region’s most critical resources, remain a key factor in the ongoing challenges faced by agriculture in these districts.



References




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