Chasing the water table: The impact of groundwater depletion on rural drinking water supply in peninsular India

Srinivasan V, NR L, G M, Shinde GN (2025) Chasing the water table: The impact of groundwater depletion on rural drinking water supply in peninsular India. PLOS Water 4(4): e0000138. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pwat.0000138

ABSTRACT

Groundwater overexploitation is one of the biggest threats to rural drinking water in India. However, Groundwater depletion in India is one of the biggest threats to rural drinking water. Yet, there is still very little quantitative evidence about its long-term risks to source sustainability.

In this paper, we aim to understand (1) the extent of actual groundwater depletion and its impact on rural water supply systems, (2) the primary driver of groundwater depletion and (3) the additional financial burden in finding new sources for water supply, relying on temporal data from two Gram Panchayats (local administrative unit) in the Upper Arkavathy watershed near Bengaluru, in south India.

To investigate these issues, we draw on long-term data from two Gram Panchayats (local administrative units) in the Upper Arkavathy watershed near Bengaluru in South India. The findings clearly show that groundwater depletion in this hard rock aquifer region is a growing problem, largely driven by agricultural water use. This unsustainable use of water has worsened the situation over time.

Rural water supply systems are now struggling to keep up with the declining water table. They have responded by abandoning non-functional wells and drilling deeper borewells in search of reliable sources. This shift has increased financial pressure on Gram Panchayats. While state and central government grants have historically funded new well installations, the cost of pumping water from deeper levels has created a growing financial crisis. Many Gram Panchayats are now burdened by what is referred to as “electricity debt.”

This study highlights the urgent need for sustainable water governance and better planning to address groundwater depletion in rural India.

Snapshots of functional and abandoned wells at different points in time in Aralumallige subwatershed.